business
Hal Leonard, the world’s biggest
sheet music publisher, reveals
why it is also the best
SCHIMMEL BRITISH PIANO FAIR YAMAHA LIGHTING THE SOUND POST SHURE

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ClassicTone, Contemporary Control

Portable, pure valve, studio quality tone is what the brand new Haze Series is all about. Loaded with natural valve tone, integrated effects and intuitive footswitching
technology, the UK developed and engineered Haze Series takes your studio sound out on the road. Comprising the two channel Haze40 and Haze15, the series offers
a rugged, gig-ready 40 Watt combo and a peerless 15 Watt head respectively. Combined with MHZ112A and MHZ112B speaker cabs, the Haze15 becomes the
epitome of guitar amplification – a valve-driven Marshall stack, but one that fits easily into either the lounge or boot of the car.
To find out more about the Haze Series contact:
Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK1 1DQ or visit the official Marshall website: www.marshallamps.com

ISSUE 112 SEPTEMBER 2009

COVER STORY

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • PIANOS 21
The British Piano Fair returns to Lords at the end of September and
while times are tough, the industry is still very confident

PUTTING ON A SHOW

27

Hal Leonard is the biggest print music publisher in the world and it
got there by making the most of every folio that comes its way. Mark
Mumford and Larry Morton explain how to stay at the top

It was not any sort of
attempt to upset
anybody in Ireland or
of Irish descent. It
was a mistake.

LATEST NEWS
STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE
Bookmark us in your phone:

MOBILE.MI-PRO.CO.UK

hile I haven’t exactly been inundated with
complaints following the publication of the
August issue of MI Pro (issue 111), it was very
quickly brought to my attention on the mi-pro.co.uk
website that I had managed to commit something of a
faux pas.
In attempting to represent a general article (splendidly
compiled by Gary Cooper) about the state of
manufacturing in Britain. “How about a flag of the British
Isles, with the British flag and a collage of some of the
products underneath it?” I suggested to the design team,
which then came up with the cover as it was published.
I thought it looked great – until the complaints started
to come in.
“Was this picture taken from a pre-1921 archive?” was
the first. It took a moment to dawn on me what I had
done. Of course, the larger part of the island of Ireland has
a flag of its own, has had it since well before
independence from British rule was gained in 1921 and,
not least, experienced no little pain in the attempt to win
the right to fly its very own flag from its rooftops.
Thus, I apologise unreservedly for any offence that
might have been caused by the last cover. There is no
mitigation involved, other than, in thinking about the MI
industry as much as I do, it is possible to forget about
some of the major concerns and issues that flow through
the world. It was not, I hope everybody realises, any sort
of attempt to signal any thoughts of British supremacy
and even less an intent to upset anybody in Ireland or of
Irish descent. It was a mistake.
To make up for it, I have given everybody respite from
my gnarly fizzog gazing out from this page, and instead
reconstructed the cover image from last month’s
magazine. The idea is that anybody who wants to can
scan this image at a high resolution, print it out in full
colour and then glue this image over the top of the
offending Union-Jack-emblazoned islands.
The fact that I received so few complaints is probably
an indication of what a laid back and thoroughly warmhearted people the Irish are, but I hope this gesture will
confirm that I, my team and MI Pro magazine generally,
has nothing but the utmost regard and respect for Ireland,
the Irish and (of course) for the splendid work that is
carried out in the MI business on that island.
Slan agus beannacht.

Schimmel moves to secure its future
Germany’s largest piano manufacturer files for short-term protection from creditors, but remains confident of success
SCHIMMEL HAS filed for shortterm protection from its
creditors under the German
equivalent of the American
‘chapter 11’. The aim is to fulfil
creditors by ensuring
continuation of business.
In recent years, Schimmel,
established in 1885 and
Germany’s largest piano
manufacturer, has expanded its
ranges to include all sectors of
the market, from beginners to
concert pianists.
In common with piano
manufacturers worldwide,
Schimmel has suffered from the
restricting effects of the global
economic downturn.
A swift reaction to the crisis,
which included restructuring and
adjusting production levels, could
not be realised due to the
lengthy production times
necessary for such instruments –
it can take between six to nine
months to build a piano of the
highest standard.
The programme of instrument
development coupled with the
recent restructuring has been
costly in the short term.

“The firm has completely restructured its facility with no
expense spared in order to produce a better standard.”
Dr Robin Loat, Forsyth Bros
This, combined with the
traditionally quiet summer
trading period, has lead to a
shortfall in cash flow, despite a

Music Manifesto
partners revealed
Five projects split £1 million for education
THE MUSIC Manifesto has
announced the five winning
‘partnership’ projects for the
2009/10 season, each
benefiting from £200,000.
. The winning bids came from
Wiltshire, Northamptonshire,
Hertfordshire, Birmingham
and East London (led by
the Barbican).
The Music Manifesto was
established to promote
collaboration across music
sectors and the music
industry. Through its
signatories, the organisation
represents nearly 400,000
people working in music.
The Manifesto was
originally set up by the
Government in 2004 and is
chaired by Darren Henley, the
managing director of Classic

6 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

GOODALL: Manifesto board
FM and includes high profile
names on its board, such as
Howard Goodall.
The Manifesto has
produced two reports on
music education in England.
The second report sets out
over 50 recommendations for
teaching music.
MM: 020 7902 1081

strong current order book, but
Schimmel has recently reported
a surge in orders, demonstrating
goodwill towards the company.

Asked why he believed the
company could survive these
trying times, Dr Robin Loat,
managing director of Forsyth

Brothers, which represents
Schimmel in the UK,
commented: “I’ve known
Schimmel for 20 years now and I
remember when it decided to
upgrade and compete with the
likes of Steinway.
“It took ten years to produce a
piano of this standard, but once
it did, pianists of the highest
calibre were astonished and have
since compared the instruments
with those made by Steinway.
“The economic crisis has
certainly affected the piano
industry and I visited the
Schimmel factory to find out
how it was dealing with it.
“I discovered that the firm had
completely restructured the
facility, with no expense spared,
in order to produce a smaller
number of pianos, to an even
better standard, yet much more
efficiently and economically.
“It has probably spent more
than anyone else in this respect,
but the result is that it is fully
prepared for the future and will
emerge from this successfully.”
FORSYTH BROS:
0161 834 3281

Steinway six-month report
Over one quarter reduction in production and sales to end of June
STEINWAY’S SIX month
financial report makes for
some fairly depressing reading.
The report was made on
August 6th and referred to
Steinway Musical Instruments’
(NYSE: LVB) results for the
quarter and six months ended
June 30, 2009, showing sales
down over 25 per cent.
“We continue to navigate
well through a very uncertain
market,” commented Dana
Messina, CEO of Steinway, in
the official statement. “By
executing on areas under our
control, we have succeeded in
dramatically reducing our cost
structure. As expected, difficult
sales trends carried through the
second quarter as global
consumer spending remained
weak. We continue to operate
our factories at significantly
reduced production levels to
reflect the weak demand.”

Anticipating better news in
the future, Messina added: “The
softness in our band business
has been more dramatic than
we anticipated. Dealers are
reducing inventories,
purchasing clearance product
from other manufacturers and
pushing on the supply chain to
carry larger inventories.
“That said, we do not
believe that industry sales will

decline further. Our superior
products, including our new
woodwind models, will help us
maintain our competitive
position as we move through
this cycle for the remainder of
the year.
“While we remain cautious
with our outlook, our products
are highly desired and we
believe we will increase market
share,” Messina concluded.

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NEWS

Les Paul –1915-2009
LES PAUL, the guitar player and
inventor, died on August 13th at
the age of 94 in New York of
complications from severe
pneumonia at White Plains
Hospital.
One of the major influences
on 20th century sound and
responsible for the iconic guitar,
the Les Paul, his career in music
and invention spanned from the
1930s to the present. His
groundbreaking design would
become the template for
Gibson’s best-selling electric,
introduced in 1952. Among his
other enduring contributions to
music are those in the
technological realm, including
developments in multi-track
recording, guitar effects and the
mechanics of sound in general.
Born Lester William Polsfuss in
Waukesha, Wisconsin on June
9th, 1915, Les Paul began
performing at the age of 13. He
dropped out of high school at 17
to play in a radio band in St
Louis, under the pseudonym
Rhubarb Red.
Tinkering with electronics and
guitar amplification since his
youth, Paul began constructing
his own electric guitar in the late
30s. Unhappy with the first
generation of commercially
available hollowbodies, he opted
to build a new structure. With
the help of Epi Stathopoulo, the
president of Epiphone at the
time, Paul used the plant and
machinery in 1941 to create the
guitar he dubbed ‘The Log’.
In the 1940s, Paul began
experimenting with dubbing live
tracks over recorded tracks and
altering the playback speed. This
resulted in Lover (When You’re

Yamaha combines
its piano retailers
Dealers of all three Yamaha piano brands
invited to special meeting at piano fair
YAMAHA MUSIC UK and
Yamaha Music Europe have
announced that they will be
hosting an important dealer
meeting for Yamaha, Kemble
and Bösendorfer dealerships to
take place on the evening of
Sunday September 20th
during the forthcoming British
Piano Fair (BPF), which will be
held at Lords Cricket Ground
on September 19th and 20th.
Central to the event will be

Near Me), his 1947 predecessor
to multi-track recording. The hit
instrumental featured Les Paul
on eight different overlaid
electric guitar parts.
In 1948, Paul nearly lost his
life to a devastating car crash
that shattered his right arm and

number one hit How High the
Moon, performed with his wife,
Mary Ford.
Paul continued to pine for
improvements in his guitar and
in the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar
cultivated a partnership with
Paul that would lead to the

His guitar and studio techniques,
makes him one of the most
influential musicians of all time.
elbow, but he convinced the
doctors to set his broken arm in
the guitar-picking and cradling
position. It was then that he
began his most important multitracking work, adding a fourth
head to an Ampex recorder to
create sound-on-sound
recordings and came up with
tape delay. These tricks, along
with another innovation – close
miking vocals – were integrated
for the first time on the 1950

creation of the eponymous
instrument we all know today.
Paul is the only person to be
in the Grammy Hall of Fame, the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the
National Inventors Hall of Fame
and the National Broadcasters
Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his three
sons Lester, Gene, and Robert
and his daughter Colleen, as well
as five grandchildren and five
great grandchildren.

marketing initiatives aimed at
increasing awareness and sales
of the Kemble brand.
“This is the first time that
these three brands have been
presented together as a
combined force for the future
in the piano industry,
supported by integrated
promotional, advertising and
marketing activities,” Yamaha’s
senior director, Mike Ketley,
told MI Pro.

“We urge dealers to make a really
special effort to attend.”
Mike Ketley, Yamaha
the presentation of business
plans, trading terms and
marketing support initiatives
for the Kemble brand, which
will officially become
Yamaha's responsibility from
November 1st.
Yamaha sees the meeting
as a great opportunity for all
existing Yamaha, Kemble and
Bösendorfer dealers to
evaluate the benefits of the
new distribution
arrangements, while meeting
the Yamaha and Kemble sales
and marketing teams.
Brian Kemble will make a
keynote speech covering the
new production, as well as
future instrument
developments and new

“Directed at each brand’s
respective target audience,
this is a very important event
for all the Kemble, Yamaha
and Bösendorfer dealers.
“We urge them to make a
really special effort to attend
and be part of the bigger
picture for the future, so that
we can prosper in the coming
years together.”
A full run-down of the
expected goings on at the BPF,
as well as an overview of the
piano market in the UK can be
seen on page 21 of this issue
of the magazine, with a full
report coming in the October
2009 issue, relating to news
and new products.
YAMAHA: 01908 366700

Intermusic announces Hoffman
New range of uprights and grands to be launched at British Piano Fair
INTERMUSIC, THE exclusive
distributor for C Bechstein in the
UK and Ireland, has launched an
affordable, high-quality range of
pianos branded W Hoffmann and
manufactured in Europe.
Included in the range will be
the WH V158-sp grand (pictured)
and the WH V112-sp upright.
The pianos will be exhibited at
the British Piano Fair to be held
at Lords Cricket Ground in
September. Dealers wishing to
view the new pianos before the

event are welcome to visit the
new Intermusic trade
showroom in Poole.
On top of this
announcement, Richard Webb,
Intermusic’s chairman, has
taken the opportunity to point
out that, in the wake of several
closures of EU factories in
recent times, there has never
been a better time for C
Bechstein pianos to gain
market share.
INTERMUSIC: 01202 696963

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miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 7

NEWS

Gremlin hires Moore Systems Workshop
Folk specialist gains accomplished musician as representative
GREMLIN MUSIC has appointed sales
representative Kieran Moore to cover the
whole of England for the Sussex-based
traditional instrument supplier.
An experienced musician, on fiddle,
guitar and piano, Moore was a member of
the popular south coast band Maximum
High and later moved to classic blues and
rock with The Mulberries, before turning
his hand to traditional jigs and reels in
the folk band Tin Fiddle.
“Despite the backdrop of poor
economic conditions, the boom in
interest in folk music is reflected in
Gremlin’s continued growth. My role in
the company is designed to meet this
demand, to support our new and existing
dealers across the UK and Ireland and to
build, as well as maintain, the high
standards of customer service we have
already set,” Moore commented.
“With over 20 years’ experience in
customer service and key account
management, a superb portfolio of

Former Carlsbro, Exclusive and BAD man joins fast
expanding sales team of audio and technology supplier

MOORE: Folk is booming
products and the help of an excellent
team, I can promise that any investment
retailers make with Gremlin will be a
sound one.”
GREMLIN: 01903 203044

National Drum Specialist for Sonor
Applications are invited for the position of National
Drum Specialist for Sonor and other drum related
brands in the Sutherland catalogue.
You will call on specialist drum shops throughout
the UK and Ireland.
Primary objectives are to sell the Sonor brand and
care for Sonor dealers, in conjunction with an
office-based team.
You should be a drummer and have a positive attitude
to customer service. It would be an advantage to be
able to demonstrate a successful sales record, but not
necessarily within the MI industry.
If you wish to represent the prestigious Sonor brand,
please contact:
Andrew Russell, International Sales Manager
Sutherland Trading Co Ltd
Bedwas House Industrial Estate
Caerphilly CF83 8XQ

Telephone: 029 2088 7333
andrew.russell@sutherlandtrading.com

8 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

turns to Preston
SHROPSHIRE-BASED distribution
company Systems Workshop has added
Steve Preston to its sales team.
Preston’s varied career has included
stints with Rosetti, Gibson, CBS Fender,
Barnes and Mullins, Arbiter (Fender),
Exclusive and Carlsbro, as well as cofounding the British American
Distribution company.
Systems Workshop is the UK
distributor of Fohhn PA systems, TubeTech professional outboard equipment,
Vicoustic acoustic solutions, Schertler
transducers, amplifiers and accessories
and Pearl microphones.
Preston’s portfolio will include a range
of items from the various brands, aimed
at both the MI and pro audio markets.
For Preston and Systems Workshop
MD Phil Beaumont, it's a chance to work
together again after nearly 30 years.
“I’m delighted to be working with
Steve again, as we go back a long way in
the industry,” said Beaumont. “He has a
proven track record in sales and is one of
the most knowledgeable and personable
guys on the road. He’ll be a great
ambassador for our brands.”
Preston added: “Having worked with
Phil almost 30 years ago, it is a pleasure
to be working with him again. The brands
that Systems Workshop distributes
complete my portfolio perfectly. I now
represent a wealth of quality products
that will take me in to all areas of the
music business.”

PRESTON: A pleasure to be back
Systems Workshop was established by
Beaumont in the mid-1980s in Oswestry,
specialising in pro audio sales and
distribution. The company’s converted
18th century forge offices are also home
to its extensive touring and promotions
business, which handles several
international artists. Beaumont also has
extensive experience in studio and tour
management, as well as past work as a
professional musician.
SYSTEMS WORKSHOP: 01691 658550

New Yamaha board announced
Corporation sees withdrawal of chairman and induction of
US and European businesses’ representatives
SHUJI ITO, the chairman and director
of the Yamaha Corporation in
Japan, has stood down from
his post having completed
his term at the head of
the board of directors.
While no longer on
the board, Ito will
continue his work with
the MI giant in the role
of ‘corporate special
adviser’ and will retain his
post as president of the
Yamaha Music Foundation.
The Yamaha central board has seen
no fewer than nine new directorial

appointments, including Hirofumi
Osawa, the president of the
Yamaha Corporation of
America, and Masato
Oike, the president of
Yamaha Music Europe.
Along with Ito,
Hirokazu Kato and
Tsuneo Kuroe also
completed their terms
on the board (Japanese
law limits the amount of
time members can remain
on a board of directors )and
were appointed as advisers.
YAMAHA MUSIC UK: 01908 366700

Mobile man replaces long-standing finance directorPaul Stephens
ROLAND UK has announced the
appointment of Simon Griffiths
to the Board of Directors,
replacing Paul Stephens who left
the company in July.
Griffiths joins Roland from
Communications Direct, one of
the UK’s leading independent
mobile phone contact centres,
which has won several awards
including best HSBC Start Up in
2006 and Welsh Company of
the Year 2007. Before that he
was a senior investment
manager for 3i, a major
European venture capitalist. He
has also worked for Ernst &
Young Chartered Accountants.
Griffiths is a chartered
accountant with ACA and FSA
professional qualifications and a
graduate with a first-class BSc
(Hons) in accountancy from the
University of Wales, Cardiff. He
lives in Penarth with his wife
and son. He’s also quite likely to
be one of the few financial
directors, Roland tells us, who is
into The Prodigy.
Paul Stephens, who had been
with Roland UK for 23 years, left
the company seeking new
challenges and is now working
outside the MI industry.
John Booth, managing
director of Roland UK,
welcomed Simon to his new
role on the board. “We met

GRIFFITHS: A few of
his favourite things

many high-calibre people during
the recruitment process for this
role, but knew we’d found our
man when we met Simon.
We’ve waited a long time for
Simon to start, as his previous
employer insisted on hanging on
to him for his full three-month
contractual notice period – an
indication of what a good guy
he is, I’m sure.”
“I’m very happy indeed to be
joining Roland. I’ve been aware
of the company from back in

my university days, so to be
able to combine two of my
favourite things – that’s music
and finance, by the way – is
perfect,” commented Griffiths
on his appointment. “I’m looking
forward to getting to know the
music industry and meeting our
dealer partners to better
understand the challenges they
face. I hear the various industry
parties are pretty good, too,
which is a bonus”.
ROLAND UK: 01792 702701

MARK DICKINSON has joined
Casio’s EMI Division as sales
executive for the Midlands of
England, joining the long
standing Casio sales executive
team members John Henderson
(North) and Paul Barnes (South).
Dickinson brings many years
of sales and marketing
experience to his new position,
having worked in retail as a
manager at the former Williams
store (now JG Windows) in the
Metro Centre, Gateshead. He
has also worked for Korg in a
sales and marketing role and
more recently for Loud
Technologies.
Despite this variety, his heart,
he explained, has always been in
the home keyboard and digital
piano markets.
“This is the ideal position for
me. The Casio product range has
always been strong and the
company has a great reputation
for offering high quality and
value-for-money instruments. I
am really looking forward to
working with the Casio dealers
across the Midlands and making
a contribution to developing
their Casio business.”
Casio’s newly appointed EMI
divisional manager, Andy Carvill,
commented: “Mark brings the

range of skills we are looking for
to support the Casio dealer
network. He has the background
experience of the industry, is a
great keyboard player – so he
can contribute to any
promotional activity – and he is
committed to building the
profile of the Casio range. We
are delighted that Mark has
come on board.”
Casio, by and large, invented
the concept of a home keyboard
nearly 30 years ago and has
since developed into a leading
name in the digital piano
market. Over the last few years
Casio has developed two
separate product ranges, Privia
and Celviano, to satisfy the
demands of the marketplace.
CASIO: 020 8208 7829

Avid unifies branding

New factory for Crafter

All wholly-owned companies to be united under single banner,
offering single worldwide strategy and operational model

Manufacturer’s second major move in less than a
decade as Sutherland receives award

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY giant,
Avid, has now re-branded all
of its wholly owned
companies under the single
branded banner of the parent
company. Now all the Avid
brands, Digidesign, M-Audio,
Sibelius, Pinnacle Systems and,
of course, Avid, will be unified
under the Avid name.
Details of how the rebranding will work are unclear
as MI Pro goes to press, with
journalists being called to
question Avid’s COO, Kirk
Arnold, at a webcast arranged
for the end of August.
Historically, Avid has been a
family of separate businesses
– all of them considered

CRAFTER HAS opened a brand
new, custom designed factory in
the city of Yang Ju in the heartland
of South Korea. The Mayor of the
city and guests from around the
world cut the ribbon at a grand
opening ceremony near Seoul
on May 14th.
The move, which came about as
the result of five years of planning
and construction, makes this the
seventh location for the company
and was made in spite of the fact
that Crafter had relocated to a
new 7,000 square metre purposebuilt factory as recently as nine
years ago.
Shortly after the 2000 move,
the Korean government expressed
an interest in using Crafter’s land

10 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

among the industry leaders in
the fields of hi-tech audio and
video – all functioning more
or less independently of one
another. These five businesses
have now become one
company, with, a brief
company statement said,
‘new offering, a new strategy
and a new operating model’.
The first presentation of the
new company will be at the
IBC show in Amsterdam from
September 10th to 15th. It
will announce multiple major
product updates to some of its
key products in line with
Avid’s strategy in terms of its
video, broadcast and post
solutions (stand 7.J20).

As Avid’s chief operating
officer, Arnold heads up the
company’s engineering, sales,
marketing and services
functions and is responsible
for developing and
maintaining the company’s
customer relationships.
She previously served as
Avid’s executive vice president
of customer operations before
taking over as COO.
AVID: 01753 655999

for a housing development and
entered into negotiations, which
enabled the company to purchase
new land just five kilometres from
the factory.
“Under normal circumstances, a
company would expect to stay in a
new factory for at least 20 years
so that the cost could be written
off over a long period,”
commented Crafter’s president, In
Jae Park. “The deal that Crafter did
with the government, combined
with the realistic cost of the land,
gave us the unique opportunity to
be able to build a new and even
more modern factory in the same
area, so that we could retain all of
our loyal and highly trained staff.”
SUTHERLAND: 029 2088 7333

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PROFILE • DISTRIBUTION

Trinty Xtras is still something of a new kid on the block, but its team has
utilised its acumen to survive and thrive. MI Pro takes the overview...
Year Established: November 2001
Number of employees: Four
Is business up or down compared
to last year? It’s definitely up.
How has the current economic
climate affected business?
There is no doubt that business is
challenging and some retailers are
experiencing difficulties. We have
many customers who are doing very
good business with our products,
though, despite the recession. This is
because our focus is on accessories,
which sell whatever the climate.
What are your best-selling lines,
and why do you think they
perform so well?
Mighty Bright is a very important
range for us. We have an exclusive
distribution arrangement for the
Book and Craft ‘Light and Sight’
products in the UK and Europe.
We stock the complete range of
Pick Boy plectrums, guitar
accessories and batons as well as
the very tastefully designed range of
music giftware.
We have recently been appointed
the exclusive distributor for Aroma.
This is a relatively new company
that has developed a brilliant range
of tuners and metronomes. It is
focused and very proactive and
determined to make an impact in
that market.
Accessories are not price
sensitive, so it is relatively easy to
cross-sell and up-sell and larger
sales can very often be increased by
offering additional items at the

point of sale. They might be low
cost items, but the increase in profit
on the overall sale is welcome.
What are your criteria for
selecting new products?
They must be high quality, value for
money products that will sellthrough relatively quickly. We want
items that are able to generate high
profits for us and for our customers,
as well as enhance and enrich the
life of the end user.
What distinguishes you from the
competition?
We add a personal touch and have
no sales agents involved. This means
our operating costs are lower and
we can offer better pricing and
terms. Modern communication lets
us quickly and cheaply inform our
customers of new products, special
offers and news updates.
We offer samples of almost
everything at a greatly discounted
price. To introduce new products or
products that are new to a
particular customer, we offer
samples at a heavily discounted
price. This gives the buyer and staff
the opportunity to evaluate it in
their own time, removing the
pressure of making hasty decisions.
They can show it to customers for

further feedback. We give a 100 per
cent satisfaction guarantee.
How do you maintain a good
relationship with retailers?
We aim to be the best, most
flexible company to work with by
offering customers a fully
personalised experience. Orders are
despatched quickly and any
problems that may arise are solved
quickly and professionally.
What would you say is the
biggest challenge facing the
industry today?
To overcome today’s challenges I
believe we need to keep looking for
new opportunities and develop a
positive attitude. We need a plan
and vision, to know what we are
building and go for it. Be focused,
proactive and flexible, not afraid of
trying new things, but test carefully
before making a commitment. Be
prepared to pull out quickly if things
don’t work out.
What are your aims for the next
12 months?
We are planning to produce a wellillustrated catalogue and will be
moving to a new warehouse and
offices later in the year in order to
facilitate our growth.

Drumroll for the Roland Main Event
Steve White to play at Roland’s V-Drum expo at the Birmingham Conservatoire, along with Johnny Rabb and Craig Blundell
ROLAND IS putting on The Main
Event 3 at the Birmingham
Conservatoire on September
27th, offering drummers a day in
the company of some of the
finest drummers around, playing
the V-Drums range.
The show will include a runthrough of how V-Drums are
being used in all corners of the
industry – from gigging, to studio
and session work, practise and
education, as well as offering
insight from the drummers on
the bill and plenty of
opportunities for Q&A sessions.
Steve White, who is perhaps
best known for occupying the
drum stool with Paul Weller, has
also played in The Who, Oasis
and The Players and is currently
on the road with Trio Valore. On
top of that, he is also working
with Jon Lord of Deep
Purple/Hammond organ fame. A
firm-favourite in the UK
drumming scene, White’s tireless

Craig Blundell (left) and Johnny Rabb (right) are two of the drummers showing off their talents at the Roland expo
passion and enthusiasm for
drumming will make his Roland
debut one to watch.
Johnny Rabb has covered a lot
of ground in his drumming
career, performing with a wide
range of artists such as Maynard
Ferguson, Frank Gambale, Tanya
Tucker, Hank Williams III, Deana
Carter and Mindy McCready.

Based in Nashville, Rabb
currently plays drums in
BioDiesel, is the author of several
books and CDs and has worked
with Roland for some time,
working with R&D to develop
new sounds.
Craig Blundell is one of
Roland’s foremost clinicians, with
a clinic style and level of

entertainment that have put him
out there with some of the best
clinicians, educators and session
drummers in the world. He is
currently in the studio with Rebel
MC/Congo Natty and is in the
drum seat with former King
Crimson violinist David Cross.
This event is free to attend,
but entry is strictly ticket-only.

The Birmingham Conservatoire is
a 500-seat venue and places are
allocated on a first come, first
served basis, so don’t delay if you
want to be there.
Reservations can be made at
www.roland.co.uk/me3 and
Roland will send out tickets
nearer to the time of the event.
ROLAND: 01792 702701

Korg UK distributed brand to benefit from R&D of drummer

Pearl launches new
website for Europe

KORG UK has announced that
drummer Steve White has
joined the Mapex family of
drummers, where he will be
involved with future R&D
projects and work closely on
Mapex’s educational
programme.
“I'm proud to announce that
I will be joining the Mapex
family,” commented White. “I'm
very excited to be joining this
fantastic company and I'm
looking forward to a great
future working together. More
news and details to come
very soon.”
Further information about
what White is up to can be
found at his website,
www.whiteydrums.com.
In addition, White has also
joined the ‘rock n roll college’
BIMM in Brighton, where he
will be teaching technical

PEARL HAS launched an
improved website with the aim
of giving visitors a virtual tour
around the Pearl products,
artists, news, events, clinics
and more. The completely
restyled site can be found at
pearleurope.com.
The website is divided in
five top sections: products,
artists, what’s up, support and
about Pearl. There is also a
comprehensive dealer locator.

Steve White joins Mapex

development at the college’s
Brighton campus. He will also
take special masterclasses at
the new sister college, called
BIMM too, in Bristol.
“It’s a great honour for me
to be asked to take part in this
year’s course,” said White.
“BIMM’s reputation is

second-to-none. I totally
understand the values and
ethos of what is taught in the
class room and importantly, the
emphasis on what it takes to
succeed in the fast and furious
world of music.”
KORG UK: 01908 857100
BIMM: 08442 646666

The product pages are
divided in four subsections,
emphasising the main product
groups and all product pages
are featured with extra ‘tabs’.
The design and interface
have also been dramatically
improved.
In the coming months, the
company will introduce new
features, including a webshop
for Pearl wearables like t-shirts,
caps and jackets.

THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY MIKEDOLBEAR.COM, THE LEADING ONLINE RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING DRUMS.

VISIT WWW.MIKEDOLBEAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.
12 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

www.mi-pro.co.uk

12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 28 & 36
CHANNEL MIXERS

12, 20 & 28 CHANNEL MIXERS

Come and see us on

Stand 1 – E51
13 – 16 September 2009 at London Earls Court.

HK AUDIO ICON
‘WORLD DEBUT’
AT PLASA09
ICON LTS
(Long-Throw System)

www.jhs.co.uk

YAMAHA • NEWS ANALYSIS

From tiny acorns
The One Yamaha scheme is harmonising a lot more than dealer agreements,
as the UK's pro music division tells Andy Barrett. Turns out there are some
mighty oaks being grown...

or those of us on the outside, the One Yamaha
scheme, which sees a rationalisation (Yamaha
prefers the word ‘harmonisation’) of pricing and
dealer agreements across Europe, is a pretty new
thing that concerns itself with the wholesale of
Yamaha products.
It is certainly that, but to those on the inside it is
neither new nor exclusively a business driven thing. The
process of developing the framework goes back some
four years from when the European president of Yamaha
Music, Masato Oike, first took up his position and created
a committee to develop a particular vision. The fruits of
this was the One Yamaha scheme and right away the pro
music division saw a vehicle to drive its drum products
into new markets.
The pro music division’s director in the UK, Richard
Hodgson, and the drum product manager, Gavin Thomas
(to whom Hodgson defers on this particular subject),
immediately began assessing where Yamaha stood in this
area. “We looked at our strengths and weaknesses quite
frankly and we saw a clear brand recognition in the jazz
and education markets, but saw a definite shortfall in the
more aggressive (and hugely popular) metal and rock
market,” explains Thomas. “We saw we needed to
reposition ourselves, but while we wanted to tailor a
product for this market, we didn’t want to lose anything
of our heritage.”
“It’s easy to feel comfortable with this now,” says
Hodgson, “but at the outset, each European country had
its own considerations, such as different sizes and
different colours. Gavin was the first to point out that we
needed to look at the market first and then the product.
The Oak Custom X was born from this.”
And not without its teething difficulties. Having seen
what the rock drummers wanted and applying that to the
Oak Custom kit, it was then necessary to get Yamaha in
Japan to come on board and this required a complete
upgrade in tooling for the manufacturing. Fortunately,
Japan sees Europe as something of a creative force and
within three months the tooling was in place.
The result is a dramatic collection of shells for a
multitude of possible configurations that appeal directly to

www.mi-pro.co.uk

the more aggressive rock player. All made from oak ply, the
bass drum is 20 inches deep and seven-ply, the toms are sixply, shallow shells and the snare is an eight-ply, Loud series
drum with nine vent holes for huge attack and short decay.
Further to that, Yamaha’s ‘air seal’ system of shell
construction, the 45-degree bearing edge, the single-bolt,
oval lugs and the Yamaha Enhanced Sustain system
mountings are all engineered to maintain the maximum
of tone. Top that off with the dark chrome hardware and
the black or white sparkle finish and you have one of the
tastiest looking kits around. It delivers the sort of
projection and cut that rock drummers live for, while
simultaneously rationalising the Oak Custom offering for
the European market and beyond.

“We’re still
growing the
artist roster. This
is just the start.”
Gavin Thomas
The drums have been released as a 2009 limited
edition for now, with some 500 kits making their way to
the Old Continent, but the push for the mid to high-end
market through artist endorsements has been pretty full
on. Of note among these is Justin Foley, the rhythm man
with Killswitch Engage, who got involved with a Yamaha
and Rhythm and Metal Hammer magazines competition,
where the winner was to walk away with Foley’s Oak
Custom X kit after he played the Download festival.
Some 20,000 metal fans entered the competition.
“We are still growing the artist roster,” says Thomas.
“This is really just the start. On the back of this there will
be some exciting new products next year.”
From here, Yamaha is looking to the dealers to
recognise the sort of R&D and effort it is making to
support the industry and at the same time pre-empting
any issues as to interest in what is produced. The market
now awaits Yamaha’s next move.
YAMAHA MUSIC UK: 01908 366700

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miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 15

EVENT PREVIEW • PLASA

Meet me on the PLASA
PLASA 09 gears up for action with over 40 new exhibitors, a pavilion for small businesses, PLASA Connect unveiled and
strong reported pre-registration. MI Pro investigates the gear that’s going to be on display at the show...

T

he new-look PLASA show continues
to develop, with 2009’s offering
promising to be an unmissable event
for the pro audio and lighting fraternities.
As ever, of course, there will be a lot of
interest for the world of MI, too.
PLASA Events has confirmed over 40
new and returning exhibitors to this year's
event (including Adam Hall, Avid
Technology, Klotz Audio Interface Nexo,
and Prism Media Products, among many
others), as pre-registrations look set to
match 2008 levels and two major new
features join the PLASA 09 line up,
heralding another strong year for product
launches. Pre-registration is still open, with
a 50 per cent discount for online bookings.
Many of the new companies will be
based in the new Small Business Pavilion,
located in Earls Court 2, an area which
focuses on the smaller innovative
businesses in the industry.
Also new to Earls Court 2 (where preregistered visitors can enjoy fast-track

16 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

entry to the show), is the PLASA Lounge,
where visitors can learn more about a
range of industry-wide initiatives.
Visitors can take advantage of the free
wi-fi zone and central PLASA bar and
business lounge in Earls Court 1 (open on
the first three days until 8pm), as areas to
talk, do business and socialise in, with the
PLASA Awards for Innovation ceremony
taking place at the centre of the show at
6pm on September 14th.
Another initiative unveiled recently is
PLASA Connect, which is a focus on
developing business opportunities for the
industry's service providers and
consultants. An idea developed in
conjunction with RH Consulting and
sponsored by PLASA’s own Lighting &
Sound International magazine, PLASA
Connect will provide service-based
operators, including consultants, installers
and rental companies, with an opportunity
to find new and potential clients from a
wide range of vertical markets.

People involved in large projects in
many different walks of life often have
very little idea of who to go to for the
supply of sound and lighting equipment.
The idea behind PLASA Connect is to help
those people gain information and make
an informed choice. The result will be a
targeted business development
opportunity that will bring genuine
business benefits to all concerned.
In addition, InfoComm will be running
its EVS212 Staging and Event
Management three-day course across
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The course
teaches how to manage technical
departments, the client and the venue,
ensuring the client sees a return on the
investment, while you maintain budgets,
weigh profitability and explore
opportunities to provide additional
services and products.
In the meantime, here’s a quick roundup of the sort of MI relevant products that
companies will be putting before the great

and the good in West London between
September 13th and 16th.
ADAM HALL
Southend’s finest will be back at the show
after a brief hiatus, strongly touting its LD
Systems ranges – particularly the new LD
Premium range of high end live sound
speakers. This, of course, falls a bit outside
the remit for the average MI store, but rest
assured that the smaller scale LD PAs,
mixers, Palmer’s DI-style products and
Boschma cases (to name but three) will
all be up for discussion with worthy
potential customers.
HK AUDIO
In a similar vein, PLASA 09 marks the
international debut of HK Audio’s newest
innovation, the Icon stack system, further
evidence of the inventive German
company’s continuously-evolving
campaign of top-line active sound
reinforcement systems.

www.mi-pro.co.uk

PLASA • EVENT PREVIEW

Meanwhile, the versatile
ConTour high performance
near-field speaker systems
and the ConTour Array line
array system for smaller
budget productions will be
placed alongside Cohedra
and Cohedra Compact line
arrays to give a full
overview of HK’s concert
sound range.
Cadis, the recentlyintroduced IP 44 rated
Compact Adaptive
installation system, will also
be shown at PLASA for the
first time at a trade show in
the UK. Needless to say, the
JHS/HK stand will welcome all
HK-oriented enquiries.
SENNHEISER
Sennheiser UK will this year be
demonstrating its third
generation of evolution wireless
microphones – G3 – offering a
variety of sets and accessories for
secure wireless sound transmission.

www.mi-pro.co.uk

Other new additions to the portfolio
being featured include WiCOS, Sennheiser’s
new stand alone wireless conference
system, as well as the new 2000 series, a
versatile pro wireless system.
On the DJ side of things, Rane has been
manufacturing some nifty performance
mixers for years and 2007 saw the launch
of the Serato Scratch Live (a collaboration
between Rane and Serato, which
developed the software). In 2009 the
introduction of SL3 brings new features
and higher spec components.
SHURE
Shure Distribution UK will have three
world premieres at this year’s show, the
SRH 750DJ headphones, the KSM 313
dual voice and the KSM 353 premier
bi-directional ribbon mics.
The SRH 750DJ has 50mm neodymium
dynamic drivers tuned to deliver high
levels of bass with extended highs, with
high impedance and maximised power
handling tailored specifically for DJs. The
ear cups swivel 90 degrees, the headband
collapses and a spare set of ear pads is
included – making this a must try for DJs.

Shure’s recent return to the ribbon mic
market has resulted in mics that are
crafted for pristine audio in studio and
concert hall applications. Proprietary
Roswellite technology provides ribbon
resilience and durability under extreme
conditions and these units are handassembled in the USA from state-of-the
art transducers, transformers and metals.
There will also be a European debut
for the new Phonic Digital Summit, a
16-input digital mixing console featuring a
colour touch screen and built-in full
effects and delays. Yup, digital mixing is
making its way towards more accessible
markets. There are 12 mono inputs,
low-noise balanced XLR microphone
inputs, quarter-inch phone jack inputs
for line-level signals and four balanced
quarter-inch phone jack inputs – and a lot
more besides.
TRANTEC
Trantec will be previewing its brand new
S6 wireless system, building on the
success of the S6000 range. A
comprehensive user interface on the front
panel allows the user to configure and

monitor all
channels, with
or without an
external PC.
The S6 system
will also
operate from
590MHz to
865MHz to cope
with the imminent
regulation changes
within the industry.
Packed with a
powerful set of features,
the S5.3 system is 16
channels of pure value
for money, and adding
even more flexibility is
the 24 channel S5.5
system, which is also now
available ‘Racked ’n’ Ready’.
Alternatively, the S4.4 is an
ideal entry level system featuring four
licence-free channels and there’s also the
S4.16, a 16-channel version incorporating
many additional features, including its
availability in ‘Racked ’n’ Ready’ versions.
PLASA SHOW: 020 7370 8661

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 17

PRODUCT LAUNCH • MARSHALL

In a Class of its own
Marshall’s fifth major launch of this year puts the company on a very strong footing in the guitar amp market – a market
where it was the runaway leader anyway. Andy Barrett was at the launch to see the most spectacular offering so far…

2

009 has been a pretty special year for
Marshall Amplification, kicking off in
January with the loudest (and some
might say strangest) NAMM breakfast ever
seen, as Kerry King from Slayer appeared on
stage after the bacon and eggs had been
suitably washed down with a gallon or so of
coffee to run some of his band’s heaviest riffs
through the new MG4 series amp.
The new MGs (a head and five combos)
took Marshall’s solid state offerings to a
new level, with all the popular features one
would expect from a digital amp, but with
a very workable analog tone built in. Four
user-assignable channels with specially
voiced effects, a new footswitching system
and Marshall’s first portable, multi-voiced,
battery-powered amp rounded the
extensive series off.
At the Anaheim breakfast, King was ably
followed onto the stage by Whitesnake’s
Doug Aldrich, who then re-appeared in
April at the Frankfurt Musikmesse for the
(dinner time) launch of the new Haze

18 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

series of guitar amps. These mid-priced
amps for the gigging semi-pro (comprising
a 40-Watt combo and 15-Watt head)
again combine Marshall tone with an
extensive effects bank, with setting
automatically stored into the current
channel, for a pure valve tone and studio

and is made with custom 12-inch
Celestion speakers, a ‘Kevlar-inspired’
covering and an industrial kick grille – this
is Marshall’s most metal of cabinets.
Following on from the 2008 one-off
replica of Jim Marshall’s original DSL amp,
presented to the good doctor on the

“This amp has really impressed me and I’m using
it regularly now at home, in the studio and for
rehearsing. It’s a great little box.”
Joe Bonamassa
quality processing, controllable from a
single footswitch.
Frankfurt also saw the launch of the
Dave Mustaine signature cab (another first
for Marshall). Described as ‘monstrous and
sinister’ the 1960 DM cab was built with
Mustaine closely involved in the design

occasion of his 85th birthday, the amp was
put into limited edition production in 2009
under the moniker of the 1923 range. The
50-Watt combo and the first ever DSL 50Watt head are already going a long way to
making the best-selling Marshall amp ever
that much better.

And that, for most companies, would
probably have been more than enough for
the year – but do not underestimate the
keenness of Marshall’s R&D team.
July 28th saw the company inviting a
broad selection of press, special guests and
Marshall dignitaries and employees alike to
Ronnie Scott’s club in the West End of
London for the launch of a brand new
amp: the Class 5.
As well as a fine scoff and quaff for the
assembled, everyone there was also
treated to the new amp being put through
its paces by the young (just 17 years old)
and unbelievably talented Krissy Matthews
and his eponymous band, and a full set
from Joe Bonamassa and his band. It was
an impressive work out.
This is a special little unit and will go a
long way to underlining Marshall’s position
as the world’s number one amp maker, not
least with retailers. It’s valve, it’s
handwired, it’s made in England and it
retails at less than £350. One will be hard-

www.mi-pro.co.uk

MARSHALL • PRODUCT LAUNCH

Krissy Matthews (left) and Joe Bonamassa and his band (right) wowed the audience as
they belted out tunes through the new Marshall Class 5 amp
pressed to find anything matching it on
the market anywhere.
The Class 5 is a five-Watt, ten-inch
speaker-loaded combo with Class A
circuitry from input to output and is the
result of research into the needs and wants
of bedroom, studio, club and stadium
players alike, which would appear to boil
down to something simple that can, at the
turn of any one of four knobs, create a
multitude of valve-based tones. The low
Wattage, of course, making it easier to
bring about degrees of crunch – from
subtle to excessive – at very manageable
volumes.
The combo is based on the classic
Marshall Bluesbreaker and, accordingly, is a
back-to-basics unit with a top-loaded,
‘plexiesque’ panel with volume, treble,
middle and bass controls – and this is the
USP of the amp. There is nothing complex
in getting hold of or altering the settings in
even the most pressured of live
environments and with the circuitry valvedriven from beginning to end, this is an
amp for the purists out there – of which
there are a considerable number.
All of this is powered through a specially
designed G10F-15, ten-inch Celestion
speaker, which (as one would expect) gives
some lovely mids and highs, but
(surprisingly, perhaps) maintains very
constant and clear range of bass tones, too.

The back panel has a headphone output
and a 16-Ohm extension cab output,
capable of driving a 4x12 unit.
The jewel in the crown, as it were, is
that this is a British-made amp, handwired
at the Marshall HQ in Bletchley, making
this a real flag-waver from design right
through to construction.
“This amp is designed and built by some
of the most experienced hands in the
business,” comments Paul Marshall. “We
have deliberately gone for the best
components and put our very best
craftsmanship into it. I think it is Marshall
sound at its best – pure and inspiring and
not a little audacious.”
With that £349 price tag, it is going to
turn a lot of heads, Marshall thinks.
“I usually play through something about
345 Watts more powerful than this,”
admits Bonamassa during his set at Ronnie
Scott’s, where he played through (what
looked like) four Class 5s daisy-chained.
“But this amp has really impressed me
and I’m using it regularly now at home, in
the studio and for rehearsing. It’s a great
little box.”
If the queues outside Ronnie Scott’s
were impressive for the launch of this little
powerhouse, one suspects the waiting lists
for ownership of the Class 5 might well be
remarkable.
MARSHALL: 01908 375411

Enthusiastic crowds were
prepared to queue for a
look at the new
Marshall combo

www.mi-pro.co.uk

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 19

PIANOS • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

Showtime
This year’s British Piano Fair looks sure to be the best yet as the piano industry gets together for the show it has always
deserved. With more exhibitors than ever before, Rob Power tinkles the ivories and finds out more…

A

world away from the noise and
bluster of your typical rock n roll
trade show, the British Piano Fair
has grown in a very short time to become
an important date in the calendar of the
UK’s MI industry. Now in its third year, the
show represents what can be achieved
when a particular section of the industry
comes together to put on the show it
wants and deserves.
It’s been far from a smooth ride for the
piano industry recently. Feeling
underwhelmed by what was on offer at
the BMF and resolute in the pursuit of a
show that it could call its own, 2007 saw
the first British Piano Fair take place at
Olympia and the event has grown from
strength to strength ever since.
Finding a new home in the genteel
surroundings of Lord’s Cricket Club’s
Nursery End, this year’s event looks to
build on the success of the previous two
years and consolidate the reputation of
what has swiftly become a popular and
well-attended show.
Preparations for the 2009 event have
been moving along at pace, and with
organiser CPH Exhibitions pulling all the
right strings, the show looks sure to
continue improving. “Everything’s going
great,” says CPH’s Colin Holdsworth. “We
have more exhibition space sold than last
year and have the likes of Roland

www.mi-pro.co.uk

exhibiting, which we didn’t have at
previous events. We’ve also opened up the
attendance to music teachers and
everything is set for a good fair.”
The appeal of the show is obvious: a
dedicated piano event that allows the
focus to remain on that area of the
business in a setting that keeps things low
key (and a million miles away from the
sort of racket you get at the average rock

greed. We have had a recurrence of the
same comments from previous years. The
first show was held at the Pillar Hall in
Olympia and we had plenty of retailers
telling us that it was fantastic to be
reminded that the UK has a vibrant piano
industry. People were saying exactly the
same thing to me last year. There is no
other option, forum or gathering for the
piano community. There isn’t a trade fair

The appeal of the show is obvious: a dedicated
piano event that allows the focus to remain on
that area of the business alone .
n roll gathering) is surely bound for
popularity among its target audience. “It is
a very niche show and there is no doubt
that is of huge benefit to it,” continues
Holdsworth. “If you think about it, in
terms of dealers and retailers, everyone
who comes in the door is a potential
customer. It’s very neat and compact, and
as a show it does exactly what it says on
the tin, and exhibitors seem to like that an
awful lot.
“It is also very low cost. It’s done for
the industry as opposed to strictly on a
commercial basis. It’s not a matter of

that fits the bill for them to go to and as
September is the peak buying time,
everything falls into place for the fair.
“I would say it’s an important point in
the calendar. If you speak to Kemble, Reid
Sohn, Piano Warehouse or Forsyth
Brothers, they will all tell you that last
year exceeded any number of
expectations and many experienced record
orders.”
The growth of the show since those
early days in a rented room at Olympia
has been remarkable, a fact that has only
been confirmed with the further addition

Lords offers the ideal environment

Bentley will sit beside Hoffman this year
miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 21

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • PIANOS

of big names to the roster for the 2009
event. “We have more exhibitors than last
year, although there were a few that were
unable to attend for various reasons –
including a wedding – but we’re very
pleased,” says Holdsworth. “As I
mentioned, the addition of Roland can do
nothing but good for the show.”
Additional changes to the structure of
the fair include the invitation of music
teachers from across the country,
something that many dealers felt
would be a hugely positive addition to
the proceedings.
“By popular demand, we added music
teachers to the guest list,” explains
Holdsworth. “It makes absolute sense –
they influence heads of department and
are an important part of the industry, so
we’ve widened the net in that respect.”
The reaction from exhibitors to the
event has been highly enthusiastic, with
many keen to emphasise the difference
between the BPF and previous events.
“It’s very good, and I think it works
particularly for a standalone show and it’s
worked very well for the last two years,”
says Piano Warehouse’s Howard Martyn.
“We’re very happy with the results we’ve
been getting. The surroundings are good,
the ambience is good and not being where
rock n roll is going on is good as it allows
people to hear the pianos properly, which
is helpful. We’re very happy with the way
it’s gone.
“We’ve been in attendance since the
show started at Olympia two years ago
and again last year at Lords. The results
are far, far better than the last few years
we had at the BMF. The BMF, for pianos,
was dying a death.

22 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

By popular demand we have added music
teachers to the guest list. They influence heads
of department and are important.
Colin Holdsworth
“There were a number of reasons: one
was the location was bad and people
didn’t like travelling to Birmingham.
Second, the time of year – inevitably midsummer – a completely dead time for
piano sales. People didn’t want to attend
simply to look, they want to be going
when things are vibrant and buying things.
September is the perfect time, as it is
when the season really starts for pianos.
We were delighted when the BPF started.”
As is always crucial with events such as
these, getting attendance figures up to a
decent level has been a pressing priority
and it would seem that the piano industry
has an excellent handle on what its people
want to see.

“We’ve certainly experienced an
improved response in terms of dealers
coming, without a doubt,” continues
Martyn. “The last year at BMF we saw
virtually no response at all, while the first
year at Olympia was excellent and last
year was far in excess of anything we’d
seen at the BMF. People are happy to go
down to London for a day out, they can
come to the capital and make a day of it,
maybe go to the theatre or out for
something to eat in the evening, so it
works out very well.
“The venue is excellent. There was a
cricket match on the nursery ground last
year, which was a lovely spectacle for a lot
of people and added greatly to the fun.”

With any show of this nature, so much
comes down to careful and considerate
planning that takes in the requirements of
the industry. In this respect, the BPF has
come into its own, with many exhibitors
pleased to see that their key event was
kept out of the summer heat. The simple
recognition that mid summer is no time
to sell pianos has certainly put the BPF in
good stead throughout the industry, with
the consensus view agreeing that by
putting the show in September, not only
does everyone attend with a view to
buying, but the whole show feels a lot
more alive.
The timing is not the only positive to
be garnered from the event though. “This
suits the trade and rather than having
something in June or July, September suits
everyone much better, especially with this
year being such a bad year so far,”
comments John Gregory of Reid-Sohn
Pianos. “On top of that, it’s reasonably
priced, it’s centrally located, it’s pianos
only and it is trade only, so there is no
public to get in the way.
“I hope it’s a good show, and I hope the
dealers make the effort to come along –
the last thing we want to do is spend
money and all sit there looking at each
other. Our core of shops around the
country are quietly optimistic and aiming
to get through the quiet months in the
hope that it will pick up in the autumn.
“We don’t deal with any of the multioutlet shops and if there are any that are
going to go under, I think it will be those.
The customers we tend to deal with are
the family-owned businesses and most of
them own their own premises, so they’re
all fairly secure.

www.mi-pro.co.uk

at the heart of the British piano industry

Visit us at The British Piano Fair 20 & 21 September 2009
Nursery Pavilion, Lord's Cricket Ground, London NW8

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • PIANOS

“We’re showing plenty of product,
including some German pianos plus some
other Chinese bits and bobs. This is our
third year in attendance.”
Multiple new pianos will be on show
from Reid-Sohn, The Piano Warehouse and
Intermusic, while many others will be
using the event as the perfect opportunity
not only to meet and greet the retailers,
but also to dazzle them with new and
improved instruments.
“This year we’ve got six brand new
models to show and it’s the only
opportunity a lot of the dealers will get to
see these products,” confirms Howard
Martyn. “We’ve got two models that we
brought out earlier in the year and then
another four brand new models that we’re
excited about showing to everybody.
We’ve got lots of new stuff, as well as a
few prototypes to demonstrate.”
Intermusic’s Richard Webb adds: “We
did extremely well last year and this year
we have a number of new pianos. We have
a budget high-quality range of Chinesemade pianos, which we will be unveiling
at the show, as it’s a good place to do

24 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

that. We’ve got the new Petrof models,
the W Hoffmann range of pianos – we
plan to dominate the mid-range
European-made pianos, especially after
the closure of all the other factories.
People will be looking for replacement
European pianos and we can step in there,
so we’re very excited about that.”
Yamaha, of course, will have plenty on
show – and as a last hoorah before the
UK factory closes, Kemble & Co will also
be exhibiting.
Brian Kemble, the man responsible for
the BPF taking place in the first place, will
be giving a keynote speech at the Yamaha
piano dealer meeting on the evening of
the opening day (Sunday). He will be
outlining the nature of the new
Indonesian-made Kemble pianos
alongsiode Yamaha’s introduction of new
models and a run-through of the new One
Yamaha dealer agreements and the
European-led initiatives in piano R&D.
Although the show itself is in fine form,
the same cannot be said of the economy,
and while recession is biting all around,
the piano industry remains bullish in the

face of adversity. “Things are pretty good
at the moment for us,” continues Webb.
“People are still buying. Bechstein is very
strong and mainly bought by people with
money, who don’t seem to be affected in
the same way as us mere mortals. We also
have Pearl River, which manufactures a
range for Steinway and with Petrof and
Hoffmann we’ve got medium-priced
European pianos as well, so we’re in a very
strong position.
“Smaller, specialist piano dealers
become so disillusioned with the small
margins on Japanese pianos that we get
the business. They can make a higher
margin with us, as we’re not into printing
recommended retail prices. Our dealers
tend to be owner-managed and for the
most part they’re the wealthier dealers
and don’t need credit.”
While those with a slice of the highend market can feel safe, the rest of the
market is feeling the pinch, although it
would seem perhaps not as badly as one
might imagine.
“In this trade, you’ve got to be
optimistic or you’d slit your wrists,” adds

John Gregory. “We can chug along on a
small amount of business as we don’t owe
any money, but it’s very, very quiet –
probably the worst period I can recall. The
recession in 91 was quite buoyant
compared to this and in the early 80s we
hardly noticed it. This one has been bad
though – much more severe. We’ve cut
back on ordering so that stock has been
reduced and our staff is cut to the bone so
we didn’t have to lay anybody off. We’re
well positioned to see out the bad times
and hopefully come out the other side.”
While the economic storm needs
weathering, the piano industry seems to
be holding out well and the British Piano
Fair indicates an area of the market with a
strong sense of both what it needs and
what it wants. “We now have an
established event – it wasn’t just a one-off
event at Lord’s cricket ground last year,”
concludes Holdsworth. “It’s a wonderful
venue for it and it has a gentle
atmosphere, with free tea and coffee for
everybody. It’s a nice, comfortable way to
have a trade fair.”
WWW.BRITISHPIANOFAIR.CO.UK

www.mi-pro.co.uk

HAL LEONARD • COVER FEATURE

Right notes
Sheet music publishing is a difficult subject to get one’s head around, so to become the world’s biggest must entail
getting a lot of things very right. Gary Cooper discovers how Hal Leonard handles its rights…

W

idely recognised by music
retailers as one of the most
profitable lines in the shop,
printed music can seem a straightforward
enough proposition. You stock as wide a
selection of titles as you think might
appeal to your customer base, put them in
a rack somewhere out the way and leave
them to work their magic… There is, of
course, more to maximising the profits
from printed music than that and a great
deal more that goes into the producing
and marketing of it. Take the biggest in the
business, Milwaukee-based Hal Leonard,
where the complex business of producing a
gigantic catalogue of material is planned.
And complex is indeed the word, as
music publishing suffers (though some
might say it benefits) from a bewildering
array of rights issues. A song may be with
publisher A in one territory, but publisher
B in another – so how do you produce a
globally useful songbook with it included?
This is just one of the battles that has
to be fought by Hal Leonard’s Mark

www.mi-pro.co.uk

Mumford in the UK. Life would be easy if
all Hal Leonard UK had to do was take
titles from the US parent company and
distribute them to UK shops, but it isn’t
quite as simple as that, and that is what
gives rise to some of the complications
retailers can experience when trying to track
down a particular item.

significantly. That sounds complex too,
with each of us owning 50 per cent of the
business, but it isn’t really, because it
allows us to create publications that are
specific to Europe and it also enables us to
distribute all of the catalogue we own
outright, such as educational publications,
through that business.”

“We can create publications that are specific to
Europe and distribute all of the catalogue we
own outright, such as educational publications.”
Mark Mumford, Hal Leonard UK
“My role is to grow and manage our
business in Europe and our business here
has always been fairly complex, because
it’s based around what rights we have in a
certain territory,” Mark Mumford says. “To
get around that, in 1996 we set up a joint
venture with Music Sales called Hal
Leonard Europe and that has grown

To give you some idea of how big a
task that can be, in the US Hal Leonard
releases over 3,500 new publications every
year (that’s almost ten per day, if you
want a more detailed perspective). And
that gets awkward, for example, when one
of the company’s hugely successful series,
like Jazz Play-Along, has a couple of songs

included in the US version that are not
copyrighted for either Hal Leonard or
Music Sales in Europe.
“Because of that we may not be able to
use it as it is, so we bring the book into the
Hal Leonard Europe editorial camp and
replace the songs we don’t control with
two that we do and we’ll create a Hal
Leonard Europe edition. Music stores can
spot this because on the back of the book,
the code number, which is usually HL
becomes HLE. That’s a good sign for them,
because it means the book has already
been out there in the marketplace, selling
well and because music stores have been
asking for it, we’ve created it specifically
for the European market, on the back of
selling thousands of copies in the US.”
Mumford says that music retailers play
a big part in this process, often badgering
the company for an edition, which they
have seen for sale in the US, but that
hasn’t previously been offered here.
He also agrees that, in the age of
Amazon, other internet sellers and

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 27

COVER FEATURE • HAL LEONARD

downloadable online sources, the fine
detail of which publisher controls which
rights is starting to seem a little
unnecessarily arcane. “I’m sure things like
this are going to be addressed as we go
forward,” he says. “We have good
relationships with Music Sales and Faber in
terms of licensing, so there is lot of
product that does get cleared and it’s not

that common a problem, but obviously it’s
a big thing for the individual retailer and
the customer who wants a particular title.”
A major part of the publisher’s skill is
capitalising on events that happen in
other media areas – the songbook for a hit
musical or film, for example. A recent case
in point was Twilight, which has been a
huge success.

“We shadow success in other market
environments and then we look at our
customer base, from children learning to
play, to professionals and teachers, a lot of
whom may want to buy something to do
with Twilight. Then we can exploit the
whole range of formats we have, from
easy piano to arrangements for concert
bands, choirs, play-alongs and CDs and
they all benefit. When you have
something as successful and high profile
as Twilight, then exploiting it is what a
publisher like Hal Leonard excels at.
“Because of the market in the US –
because there’s a good commercial
market for whatever we create – the rest
of Europe benefits from a wide range of
formats and editions being made
available. So sometimes there can be a
massive variety of different publications
coming out, based around just one film.
“This has really been where the major
successes have been for us over the past
few years – films like Disney’s High School
Musical, which had a massive impact, or
Mamma Mia! from last year. These are
things that if you put a copy in your
window, they are going to bring people
into the shop.”
FILMS BRING IN FANS
Mumford makes an important point here.
Whatever publicity the music industry
might generate for a cultural blockbuster
like Mamma Mia!, it is absolutely dwarfed
by the fact that the film industry,
television, radio, newspapers and
magazines are all likely to be generating a
mass of free publicity on top of that,
which the High Street can hitch a ride on,
almost for nothing, by placing a Mamma
Mia! songbook in its window.
“Sometimes there’s a problem in that
we end up with these books a month or
two after the initial impact, because we
have to wait for the music to come out
before we can start working on the
different arrangements, but sometimes it
works the other way. For example, there’s
a new Disney animated film that came
out in the States in May, called Up. It
doesn’t open here until October 9th, but
we will already have the book in stock
because it was out in the States
beforehand. It’s a great opportunity to
have the book out just as the film is
screening.”
As you would expect, Hal Leonard has
been exploring digital delivery methods
and even online tuition programmes for
some time now, but Mumford makes a
strong case for the intrinsic value of a
book in a music shop.
“Most of our publications are based
around ‘I’d like to try this’ – where we’ve
created something so that a musician
who is learning to play the piano at Grade
3, for example, sees that he can also try

28 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

to play other things, as well. That relies on
people going into shops, opening books
and seeing what is there. So we really do
rely on the point of sale experience in a
music store, because although people can
do this to some extent on the internet, to
make online work, customers really need
to know what they want.
THE VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE
“The other thing to consider is that people
who work in print become very
knowledgeable about what’s available and
there are some great retailers in the UK
who are walking encyclopaedias. So if you
are a teacher or a professional, being able
to go to a music store to talk to one of
these people cannot be taken for granted.
In choral, orchestral and classical music in
particular, it takes a while to build up that
knowledge and you’re not going to get it
on the web.
“There are retailers out there who have
fantastic print departments, but there is a
feeling among some that if you don’t have
everything, you can’t really have a print
business. I’m not sure I go along with that.
To me it’s about looking at print as not
being an accessory, but something that
can bring you profit, in part because you
don't have to discount and it will turn
over quickly.
“If you want to spend £1,000 and you
are trying to decide whether to buy 200
books or an amplifier for your music store,
I know which I would choose. I know you
have to have amplifiers, but people are
afraid of print because they think you need
loads of it to sell it. But I think if you hire
somebody and give them responsibility for
that part of your business, you’ll soon
start to build it up – it’ll turn over
regularly and bring you a regular,
determined profit margin.
“You’ve also got an opportunity to
attract so many different customers to
your shop. If you’re only selling guitars
you might be ‘just a guitar shop’ but if you
bring print into your guitar shop, you’re
still a guitar shop, but you’ve also got
Rock Band or Guitar Hero books in your
window, which are on everybody's lips. If I
walk past your window and I see Guitar
Hero, I might be very tempted to come in,
even if I don't actually play the guitar.”
Another trick up the retailer’s sleeve is
getting customers into Hal Leonard’s
extensive series and drawing them back to
the store as that series expands and
grows. Used with an active database of
customers’ email addresses, it can be a
very valuable tool.
“And another thing that I think can help
is not to regard books as just belonging in
a dedicated print section. We do a lot of
technology books and reference books
which, to be honest, wouldn’t sell very
well in a print department – they need

www.mi-pro.co.uk

HAL LEONARD • COVER FEATURE

to be near the software section, or the
guitar section.”
A case in point is the Backbeat
reference book catalogue of over 250
titles, which Hal Leonard purchased a few
years ago and which is about to move this
month to availability from Music Sales/
Hal Leonard Europe – just in time for the
Christmas period.
“One of the big problems retailers have
with Hal Leonard is that they don't know
where to get a specific book from. They
could go to Music Sales, or Studio Music,
or Faber, who distribute the EMI titles – so

we realise it can get very confusing. Our
longer term strategy is about trying to
find a way of simplifying that, but we are
so tied by who controls which rights,
though we have done things to simplify it
over the time – Hal Leonard Europe being
a case in point, as is bringing Backbeat
under Music Sales distribution. I always
say that if you want to buy a Hal Leonard
publication you go to Music Sales. There
may be the odd occasion when it won’t
have it – but we’re getting there.”
HAL LEONARD: 01494 730143
MUSIC SALES: 01284 702600

“If you hire someone and give them responsibility
for print, you’ll soon build it up – it’ll turn over
regularly and bring you a regular profit margin.”
Mark Mumford, Hal Leonard UK
www.mi-pro.co.uk

SHEET MUSIC HAS LONG, VIABLE FUTURE
A few words from Larry Morton, Hal Leonard president...
“The unique thing about Hal Leonard is
that we are exclusively focused on the
print music market,” says company
president Larry Morton. “In fact, we
keep redefining what that means, by
expanding all the different formats and
our advice to retailers is to encourage
them to stock in all the different
formats of music.
“For example, when a new West End
musical comes out, most traditional
publishers would put out just one
music edition – a piano vocal book –
but at Hal Leonard we might do
anything from three to five piano
editions alone, from piano solo to
standard piano vocal, to big note, to
five finger. We’ll do editions with playalong CDs and the instrumental and
guitar editions and band editions and
choral – all to reach more music makers.
“If we put out just that one book we
limit our sales. Retailers can distinguish
themselves by having the breadth of
selection and the hard-to-find formats
that customers might not be able to
get elsewhere.
“We look at the internet in two ways.
The first is how to market our products
online, in co-operation with online
retailers, and the second part of that is
the digital delivery of sheet music. On
the former, we have a very robust dealer
website, so dealers can come in and get
graphic images and pre-designed
advertisements and we try to make it as
easy as possible for our products to be
featured on their websites.
“We’ve been urging our retailer
friends to work hard on their sites, too.
This gives them a great advantage,
because people can see products online
and then phone or go to the store.

“On the digital side, we partnered
with Music Sales in 1997 for Sheet
Music Direct, which was the world’s
first authorised digital sheet music
website. In the ensuing years, we’ve
developed dealer programmes where
stores can sign-up for instore digital
delivery, we have online affiliate
programmes and our newest
programme is called Digital Retailer,
where we serve up the content behind
the scenes and the dealer sells the
content off their website.
“We think the sheet music market
has a long, viable future and we believe
that because there is a personal
relationship between someone who
plays music and their piece of music.
In terms of emphasis, we are
strongly focusing on the educational
and classical parts of our business. Last
year we acquired the Dutch-based
company De Haske, so now we have
six locations throughout Europe for
educational and classical business and
we see a great potential for growth in
that area.”

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 29

LIGHTING • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

Got a light, Mac?
‘No, but I have a dark brown overcoat’ is the wrong answer. With LED technology becoming both better and cheaper, the
last bastion of exclusively professional performance science is now in the hands of the end user. Andy Barrett wonders
whether MI stores could (or should) cash in on the lighting market…

L

et’s face it, lighting equipment for
the majority of bands and performers
that frequent our stores has never
been high on the priority list. As a result, it
hasn’t been high on yours, either. Of the
handful of MI shops I phoned while
preparing this article, just one sold any
sort of lighting on a regular basis. It simply
hasn’t been an issue – what’s more, it’s
something else to worry about having
some sort of handle on so that one can
give the right sort of service.
The main reason (other than cost) for
the rather underwhelming interest from
the punter is a simple one. Power. Lighting
simply uses so much juice, most bands
doing the rounds of the local pub circuit
simply cannot risk not only losing power
on their own PA, but also the pumps and

www.mi-pro.co.uk

fridges and whatever else the venue has in
use to aid customer satisfaction. A single,
pro lamp can use up to 1,000 Watts,
which can be a third of what the venue is
capable of providing. You do the maths.

when the time comes to move up to
larger gigs, the venue will have a rig. Okay,
let’s assume they aren’t living in Lala land
and they really are very good. The bad
news for them is that a smaller, newer,

An inferior band could be creating more of a
buzz simply because they are making more of an
atmosphere – and it’s all thanks to
light emitting diodes.
Coupled to that, lights have been
historically expensive and bulky and most
bands are of the mind that their music is
good enough to not need lighting and

inferior band is playing the same circuit,
but is taking advantage of the latest
technology in small gig lighting. Could be
the inferior musicians are making more of

a party and creating more of a buzz,
simply because they are succeeding in
creating an atmosphere.
How are they able to do this? Light
emitting diodes, of course. LEDs have
revolutionised the lighting market over the
past ten years and the technology – as
technology does – is trickling down to the
entry level and making it possible for the
most modest of acts to create a pretty
attractive show. It has become a genuine
revenue stream for MI dealers and I would
be surprised if more and more don’t take
it on over the next year or so.
The lighting market has seen a steady
growth over the last 18 months with the
introduction of LED technology, which has
replaced the original dichroic lamp effects.
The production of LED lighting has been

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 31

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • LIGHTING

refined over this period with the light
output increasing with each new
generation of products. They are long
lasting, making them a cost effective
purchase to mobile DJs, small bands and
venues alike.
LEDs have enabled low-power lamps,
known as Par cans, to be used in
significant numbers (each as little as a
couple of hundred Watts) on a 13 amp,
240-Volt circuit – or about the same as
the small gig PA system. Obviously, as
with PAs, the sky is the limit, but a couple
of Kam Par Bars (giving the user eight
lamps) will create an enormous blend of
colours, relatively bright lighting for little
outlay (in terms of cash) and universally
acceptable power consumption.
On top of this, there is the world of
smokers and hazers, lasers, good old
fashioned sound-to-light units and mirror
balls and columns – and that’s before we
start talking about the accessory market
with T-bars, columns, stands and cabling.
Many of these latest light effects are
lightweight and compact, making it viable
to add them to a performer’s kit, as well

32 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

as (for venues) making it easier for
installers to position the units. At such
affordable prices lighting shows can be
updated more regularly, creating a new
atmosphere every time. On top of this, a
great deal of the latest product operates
as stand-alone – dispensing with the need
for controllers and an operator – or via
DMX, opening usage to a wider range of
applications for the more adventurous. It
would probably be a bit much to hope
that the small gigging band would want to
get involved with having a lighting man
and a controller/mixer (let’s face it, most
don’t even have a sound man), but it
would certainly be an idea to be aware
that someone might have.
With PLASA just around the corner
(September 13th to 16th) this might be a
good opportunity to pop down, spend 20
quid on an entrance ticket and have a look
around to see what sorts of opportunities
might be available to you.
What follows is a brief and whirlwind
rush through some of the products
available from companies that are already
working in and around the MI market.

www.mi-pro.co.uk

LIGHTING • SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

KAM
The LED-based systems on the market are
typified by Kam’s LED range and dispense
with all the complex paraphernalia and
replace it with simple, cool-running, LED
lighting, which is cheap to buy and easy
to run. The Parbar mkII takes that userfriendliness even further – right into the
‘every band should have one’ market.
The Parbar system is based around four
standard LED Par cans made into a
complete kit using an on-board DMX
controller, sound to light function, on a
stand, with a foot controller and coming
in its own padded carry case. It means
that someone playing a gig can have the
whole Parbar set up within a minute. This
opens up some very interesting sales
territory for MI retailers. Instead of trying
to coax customers to open their wallets
for yet another guitar or backline amplifier
(particularly during a recession where
‘luxury’ spending might feel inappropriate)
lighting offers the customer something
completely new – and a way to make a
significant impact on their performances
and prospects as artists.

www.mi-pro.co.uk

With the Parbar it isn’t only easy to
understand and use, it is also very
affordable. The complete Parbar mkII kit is
selling at a street price of around £299.
Beyond the market-changing Parbar,
Kam has a lot else going on in lighting –
and all of it very accessible – provided the
right sort of rigging is at hand.
A good example is the LED Mushroom,
an eight-lens RGBW beam effect that
creates moving, circular patterns in an
almost limitless range of colour tones. A
seven-channel DMX unit, this Dr Whoesque machine also functions as
standalone and has built-in programs for
sound-to-light operation, as well as strobe
effects. A whisker under £175 will buy
your punters one of these.
In similar vein come the Superflower 1,
the Swingfire DMX and the Quadflower 1,
all single, hanging units with a mass of
effects and colours that function as
standalone or part of a system.
Speaking of which, the Kam EZ-1
controller is available for all of the above.
This is a simple and efficient lighting
controller that offers one-touch blackout

control of your lights and their built-in
programs, including the strobe and the
effect speed.
QTX LIGHT
The major lighting brand of the AVSL
Group (formerly Skytronic) is QTX, which
has an impressive array of lighting
opportunities for the beginner performer –

sound activated, auto or DMX controlled
(13-channels) and is suitable for
installation in bars, clubs, exhibitions and
the like, although for bands with a bit
more room to play with, it can be a fun
toy, too.
With control over X, Y and Z axis for
rotation, rolling and drawing speed, this is
an attractive addition to the set up.

or retailer. The first up is the Super Laser 1
mkII, a 60-mega-Watt green laser that
creates impressive effects and graphics,
text or numbers, particularly when used
with fog or haze machines. It can be

A step above that, QTX offers the LS-X
PRO, an effects laser that combines the
technology of the Angel laser with that of
a cluster to produce stunning effects. The
laser can be operated in pattern, cluster or

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 33

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT • LIGHTING

a combination of both modes with the
options of automatic and sound activated
modes. Adding smoke or haze to this light
effect will take it to the next level, making
it a must have item for any nightclub or
mobile DJ. A ten-channel DMX model,
when in pattern mode, the two colours
combine to product a yellow beam adding
to the effect and there are three sound
activated modes of operation (cluster,
pattern and combined).
Topping off the range – and showing
exactly what is possible from LEDs these
days, QTX’s LED Orbiter is not for the faint
hearted, but it is an amazing bit of kit to
aspire to. This ultimate LED light effect
combines five LED colours with a unique
optical system producing a spectacular
light show. The effect covers a large area
and can be used on its own or further
enhanced with the use of a smoke
machine. It also features a power linking
system allowing more than one LED unit
to be daisy-chained from the same power
source. The unit can be sound activated or
auto-sequenced.
Moving a bit outside the realms of
what MI stores are likely to get involved
in, QTX also has moving heads in its
catalogue, such as the LUX LD01 mini
moving head. This compact and
lightweight 13 channel RGB LED moving
head scanner creates multiple effects and
has a very impressive light output due to
the 14-Watt diode. It is a free standing
unit that can be wall or ceiling mounted
via the supplied mounting bracket and is
ideal for use in bars and nightclubs.
With its 13 DMX channels users can
control pan and tilt at controllable speeds
speed, as well as the dimmer and strobe
effects – all in mixtures of red, green and
blue (also controllable). The head has
room for nine gobos.
ELECTROVISION
A name unfamiliar to most in the world of
MI, but not all and very much the onestop shop for all of the odds and ends
your average DJ store does well from,
Electrovision is a large supplier that
includes extensive lighting and effects
products in its enormous catalogue.
The company has LED light boxes
(reminiscent of the disco light boxes of
the 70s), as well as four LED par can bars
(although not packaged with stands, as is
the Kam Parbar), more laser units than
you can shake a stick at, mirror balls and
columns (and the motors to drive them)
and what the company calls ‘party packs’.
It is this last, somewhat (it has to be
said) tacky collection of items that has
caused something of a buzz among more
liberal stores.
These packs contain nothing more than
a blue, revolving police car light, a light
ball and a mirror ball – all about the same

34 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

size – they cost the punter somewhere
between ten to 15 quid and, most
importantly, fly out of the door like warm
bread. Obviously, if you are pinning your
USP upon being the classiest store in
town, you won’t touch these with a barge
pole, but with kids buying them for their
own amusement, as well as being a handy
add-on for a small gigging band, these
little plastic sets can earn a nice bonus.
LASER UK
This company specialises in supplying a
full range of professional DPSS (Diode
Pumped Solid State) laser devices and
builds machines ranging from 25 megaWatts to 2.5 Watts in single green, single
blue, RGY and full RGB colour.
The manufacturer has its own R&D
team that produces colourful, dynamic
interesting shows and effects that keep,
we are told, ‘audiences thrilled and
amazed’. The company prides itself on its
production techniques and sourcing
quality components and has made itself
an impressive little niche in UK
manufacturing. Items of note from Laser
UK include the Burst II, a one-colour
(green) laser unit that delivers all of the
classic, high-powered wash, strobe and
conical effects people of a certain age
know and love.
OPTIKINETICS
This is a company that has been around
for donkeys’ years and very much at the
forefront of what it does – primarily
professional lighting supplies. That said,
the adventurous would want to take a
look at the odds and ends around Opti’s
core products, such as the bubble
machines or the strobes. Of
the latter, the Opti Club
Strobeflower is a
unique, high visual
impact strobe system
that delivers high
colour, multiple light
beams, which can cut
through any light show.
The unit is
controllable by two
channels of DMX, one to
control the flash rate of the
lamp and the other the
movement of the beams.
Beyond that, for the customers
moving towards lamps and moving heads
with brackets for gobos, Optikinetics has
(possibly) the most impressive selection of
patterned and moving gobos on the
market, From seasonal or themed ‘scenes’
to almost laser-like kaleidoscope effects,
there is some entertainment to be had
just by looking on the website, let alone
fitting your lights with them. This is also
an area worth considering for the dealer
that wants to vamp up its shop displays.

Stomp for cool
We all know that being British these days means quality – and in the MI trade even more so. Gary Cooper chats to
Rothwell Audio’s Andrew Rothwell and discovers the firm is well on its way to turning this quality into success…

O

ne of the great ironies of MI is the
way British guitarists (and, it has
to be said, many of us in the
industry) feel a quickening of the pulse
when we learn that a new product is made
in the USA. There’s nothing essentially
wrong with that – it’s where both rock n
roll and jazz began and many of the best
things about the guitar continue to come
from America. But it must be galling for
British manufacturers to see the automatic
cool awarded to US products, which our
own never quite seem to have – at least
not automatically from birth. Perhaps it’s a
case of familiarity breeding contempt?
Whatever the reason, it’s ironic because
the reverse tends to be true ‘over there’.
Fortunately for UK manufacturers, in
the USA the legend ‘Made in England’ is
regarded as a badge of rank – particularly
when applied to speakers, mixers and
electronics. This reputation – forged by
companies from Vox through Marshall to
Neve and SSL, has assisted numerous

35 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

smaller UK businesses down the years and
it has recently come to the aid of a
relative newcomer, Rothwell Audio, whose
range of highly praised effects pedals and
tone improvers has begun to gain serious
attention stateside.
And now the corner is beginning to be
turned for Rothwell in the UK, as steady

his equipment in the home market. A
guitarist, he studied physics at university
and ended-up an electronics engineer with
British Aerospace, but he always felt the
tugging of MI electronics pulling at him.
“I wasn't really suited to the BAe
environment, though, and eventually
wanted to move on,” he says. “I've worked

“Our pedals aren’t cheap, but
they’re still very affordable and
they’re built to last.”
Andrew Rothwell, Rothwell Audio
persistence has recouped a series of
excellent reviews and a steady growth in
the number of major guitar shops stocking
its products.
Andrew Rothwell himself is phlegmatic
about the time it has taken to establish

in recording studios and I've done stage
and technical work on stages ranging from
local pub level to Glastonbury. I've also
run an electronics business making
domestic hi-fi equipment since 1990, but
in recent years the market for hi-fi has

seen a steady decline. At the same time,
the market for ‘boutique’ effects pedals
has been growing steadily and in 2007
Rothwell Audio Products launched its first
guitar effects pedals – the Atomic Booster
and the Hellbender. Both designs are
original and both pedals were very well
received. Since then we've concentrated
more and more on the guitar side of the
business and added more pedals and built
up a dealer network in the UK and abroad.”
Unusually, Rothwell insists that ‘made
in the UK’ means exactly what it says. He
feels his dealers are keen to support a
genuinely British product, which is exactly
what the are getting, with UK-made,
polished and painted boxes, UK-made
circuit boards – even the packaging is
sourced at home.
“Of course, it isn't cheap to
manufacture products here and although
our pedals are expensive compared to the
cheapest on the market, they're still very
affordable and they're built to last. The

www.mi-pro.co.uk

ROTHWELL AUDIO • COMPANY PROFILE

customer has the benefit of UK after-sales
service and they can even speak to the
person who made the pedal if they really
want to.
“Our range of pedals is growing and
we've just introduced a new compressor –
the Love Squeeze. Again, this an original
design (we don't do copies or clones or
mods) and it has been very well received.
I'm not aware of any other UK-made
compressors and not aware of anything
that sounds better. We have other designs
on the drawing board and will be
introducing more new pedals when the
time is right. We're currently working on
raising brand awareness and getting more
dealers here and abroad.
“What we’re offering retailers is
something they can sell that’s a bit
different – a high quality, British-made
‘boutique’ product that means they won’t
be in a price war with every other dealer
in their area. These things are available on
the internet but as far as I’m aware
they’re not heavily discounted, so retailers
can preserve their margins and offer
something that’s comparable, or better,
than the American boutique stuff.”
ALIENS ABROAD
Andrew Rothwell admits that it is slightly
irritating to see the special attention
lavished on US-made pedals but he says
he gets the benefit of the alien factor
when the pedal is on the other foot. One
of his top US retailers, for example, has
shown tremendous interest in the pedals
and is getting over 1,000 hits a day on its
YouTube video of Rothwell’s gear, with
sales there starting to follow that huge
growth in interest. Of course, with the
internet being what it is, some percentage
of that 1,000 hits is likely to be coming
from UK users.
“The problem here is that people tend
to see ‘home grown’ as being one step
away from ‘home made’, so even though
the UK has a fantastic pedigree in
electronics, there’s always that slight
wariness,” he says, ruefully.
Had Rothwell considered getting a
distributor so as to reach more retailers
here? Rothwell says he has, but the extra
cost burden that would impose on the
product certainly doesn’t appeal. And
when you look at Rothwell’s prices, you
can see why. As things stand, the pedals
are very competitive for fully UK-made
and supported products. The Atomic
Booster is £99, the F1 Booster is £119 and
the Hellbender and the Switchblade sell
for £139. Beyond these, you can retail a
professionally made unit like the
wonderfully named Major Bypass for a
mere £69 and even Rothwell’s brand new
dedicated guitar compressor, the Love
Squeeze, retails for just £129. Adding
another expensive element to the

www.mi-pro.co.uk

distribution chain would simply rob the
products of the attractive prices from
which they currently benefit.
“I have dabbled with sharing a rep, but
that didn’t work out too well,” he says. “So
what I’m doing instead is trying to get as
many reviews as possible, put my own
videos on YouTube and generally try to
raise brand awareness in the UK.”
There is more to the Rothwell brand
than just its effects pedals, though. Also on
offer is a series of tone boosters, like The
Hot Little Knob – a passive booster for
Strats. Rothwell says it’s a push-pull control
that replaces one of the tone controls and
gives an increase in volume and fattens the
tone by placing the bridge and middle
pickups in series. With the switch in the
down position, it acts as a normal tone
control and everything is as stock.
Also in the range is The Cool Little Knob
– an advanced coil tap for humbuckers.
Rothwell says: “It will add clarity and
sparkle to the top end without the volume
drop and thin bottom end which
conventional coil taps suffer from.”
Then there’s the Neck Adder, which
allows you to blend the neck pickup on a
Strat with any other pickup combination,
giving you the option of all three pickups
together and bridge plus neck pickups.
Again, these are not expensive items –
ideal, you would think, for recessionary
times when a guitarist wants to improve
his rig and wants to spend money, just not
enough to buy himself a new guitar or
amp. The HLK, for example, sells at £35,
which you would think could tempt
almost anyone.
The good news is that for retailers who
do get on board, not only is Rothwell a
growing brand that is likely to bring its
own customers through the door (or at
least have some customer recognition
when mentioned), but there are also new
products on the drawing board to
encourage repeat business.
NEW GEAR ON THE HORIZON
“There's a tremolo due to be available
later this year. The difference with this one
is that there's a spectrum control on it.
The spectrum knob controls the
frequencies which will be modulated by
the tremolo. When it's set to full range,
the full range is modulated, i.e. the volume
goes up and down. When the spectrum
knob is set to HF (high frequency), just the
high frequencies are modulated, so the
tone modulates between bright and dark.
The spectrum knob can be set anywhere
between the two extremes,” he explains.
Could it be that Rothwell is poised to
make the break into the big time? On this
evidence it looks like a strong possiblity,
and with such excellent products it would
certainly be well-deserved.
ROTHWELL AUDIO: 01204 366133

Post
The Sound Post Ltd has arguably done more than
anyone to both make orchestral strings more
appealing and accessible by developing a
contemporary image and maintaining standards
while squeezing prices. Gary Cooper finds out where
its wonder stuff originates…

T

he rock n roll side of MI may have most
of the glamour, but it’s the market for
traditional instruments that has been
growing healthily during the past few years –
particularly the educational sector, which has
benefited from increased government
spending. And it is the bowed string sector of
that which has produced one of the UK’s
most dynamic and interesting small-tomedium companies, The Sound Post Ltd.
The name might seem a little
cumbersome (and it is apparently
important that we get it right as there is
more than one ‘Sound Post’ but only one
‘The Sound Post Ltd’), but that is the only
thing awkward about this forward-looking
business, which has pulled-off the
impressive feat of winning three MIA
awards in recent years, including the
coveted ‘Best Medium Supplier’ accolade in
2007 and 2008. That’s a big achievement
for a relative newcomer to a longestablished market sector, so MI Pro asked
the company’s commercial director, Justin
Wagstaff, what it is that he thinks TSP is
doing differently and what that can mean
for retailers.
But first, what is The Sound Post Ltd and
where has it come from? It turns out that
the now 13-strong business was
established in 1993 by the late Stephen
Jocelyn, a professional cellist who wanted
to improve the quality of student
instruments available in the UK. The
Primavera range was introduced in 1995
and, TSP says, revolutionised the student
violin market by introducing, for the first
time, styrofoam cases and tailpieces with
integral adjusters as part of the outfit: “...as
well as a much improved quality of
workmanship in the student violin”.
Unlike many in these recessionary times,
The Sound Post Ltd is currently recruiting
and is doing so from a position of strength,

40 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

Justin Wagstaff reveals: “We’ve basically
doubled the size of the business in the past
four years. As to why – primarily, you can’t
get away from the fact that there has been
money in education and we are in the
student violin business so we’ve obviously
benefited massively from that. That said,
though, if you look at the other parts of
our business, they too have grown by the
30 or 40 per cent that we grew last year.
The fact that we’ve gone into one or two
new areas, more on the accessory side,
have helped to balance the business.”
DRIVING UP THE STANDARD
Though Chinese manufacturing has done
much to make instruments affordable for
beginners throughout music, it can’t be
denied that there have also been some
pretty nasty products arriving on these
shores at times and one of The Sound
Post’s achievements has been to help
drive up standards, so that children are
not struggling with instruments which
will do nothing but hinder their progress.
“That was Stephen Jocelyn’s primary
motivation – he thought teachers and
pupils deserved better,” Wagstaff says.
“And that’s something we follow. Every day
we’re striving to make sure our
instruments are as good as possible and
the best value for money we can find.
Achieving that comes down to me.
I’ve been in the violin business for
coming up to 20 years. I did my
grounding working in a specialist violin
shop handling real violins, including
some of the old Italian masters’ work
and my expertise is to make sure that,
whatever price point we’re looking at,
the instrument still has to be correctly
proportioned – bridges and string heights
have to be right, for example. The violin is
a difficult instrument to play and if these

THE SOUND POST LTD • COMPANY PROFILE

things are right it’s that little bit easier.
That means me going out there, talking to
the makers in the language they
understand, but also talking to our
customers in the language they talk.”
STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE
Is it not the case that most distributors
source most instruments from the same
makers? If so, how does TSP differentiate
its products?
“There are two ways you can do it. You can
take all your instruments from one source
and, by and large, that tends to be what
most people do. The other way is to work
with violin makers, which is what we do,
and tell them what we want and work with
them to produce something that’s a little
bit different. That’s what I’ve always tried
to do.
Fundamentally, we’re working with a
400 year old design and there’s not much
you can do to change it, though there are
certain things – if you look at varnish and
lacquers, for example, you can do things a
little differently. But also, I don’t buy from
one place. We currently use three
workshops for our instruments. The factory
that makes the Primavera violins is very
good at making student violins but it
doesn’t have the expertise to be
making instruments for the next step
up, so for that level, we use
someone else and for the very top,
the instruments under our
Heritage label, we are sourcing
proper violins made in a very
small workshop by very skilled
makers.”
Getting the instruments right is,
of course, only one part of the
equation. However good
they may be, if the service
and backup is lacking you

certainly won’t be winning MIA awards
from UK retailers, so how does TSP
approach that?
“It is our daily battle. Our competitors
are large companies with super brands and
they’ve been around for a lot longer than
we have. So our marketing has to be very
strong – our website is constantly updated,
keeping it as fresh as possible and that’s
increasingly important, as is going and
talking with teachers. That is vital, because
it can be a little prescriptive at schools –

fortunate that our customers recognised us
for that. It’s unbelievable how often
someone will phone up on a Thursday and
say they have a customer who has a gig at
the weekend and who wants a certain
brand of strings that they don’t have. If
they do, we will get the strings to them
and they remember it.”
MI veterans will know only too well that
the taps of educational funding can be
turned off, as well as on, and with cutbacks
more or less guaranteed whoever wins the

“We work very hard, every day with our
service. That’s something that has always been
very important to us. In order to make sure
that you are remembered, you have to do
things properly.”
Justin Wagstaff, The Sound Post Ltd
often the teacher writes a name down on
a piece of paper, which mum and dad take
to a music shop – and that is our daily
challenge.
“More and more authorities are now
choosing Primavera and it takes a lot of
time and attention talking to people to
achieve that.”
No doubt the company offers fine
instruments and good service. No doubt all
TSP’s competitors would say they do, too,
so what does Wagstaff believe to be the
essential extra?
“We work very hard, every day with our
service. That’s something that has always
been very important to us. In order to
make sure that you are remembered, you
have to do things properly – and when it
was suggested that we put ourselves
forward for the MIA award, we were

next election, how has Wagstaff and the
TSP team sought to ensure continued
growth?
“This is something that I’ve been
conscious of almost since the money
became available. It is going to run out at
the end of next year and we are just at the
start of a new marketing campaign
featuring Erica Nockalls, who is a very
talented violinist with the The Wonder
Stuff, which have been touring extensively
and are backing the Proclaimers. She has
also just brought out an album. She uses
an electric violin which we distribute and
one of our Heritage violins.
“We want to use Erica to give the
message that, yes, we are very strong in
education, but there are also instruments
for young musicians going to university, or
professionals looking for a second

instrument, so they don't have to do
Proms in the Park with their pension. We’ve
got instruments that are perfectly suited to
this and around the country we have
instruments in the Scottish Chamber
Orchestra, the Ulster Symphony and we’ve
actually got a whole quartet of
instruments in the Liverpool Philharmonic.
“We are making our profile a little more
adult orientated and have started making
moves into the Continent, as well. Beyond
that, we have developed strings and
accessories which are now between a
quarter and a third of our business. We’ve
also moved into all the parts that violin
makers need and we've supported the
British Violin Makers’ Association for a
number of years. We’ve reached a point
now where those people who were buying
one or two brands of strings from us can
continue to get all their strings, but can
also get all the chin rests and mutes that
they need. That makes each order
substantially bigger and it adds up.
TALK TO THE EXPERTS
“Ultimately, I think what we have to offer
is expertise. We only do the violin family –
some of our suppliers have offered us other
things, but we made a decision that our
core business is our knowledge. People
understand that and they like to use our
expertise – we get dealers phoning with a
customer in front of them who doesn’t
know what kind of strings he wants, but
can we make a recommendation? You
can’t quantify how important a service like
that is.
“I suppose if I had to put it in a nutshell,
I’d say that if your problem is violin
related, then the solution is The Sound
Post.” And a lot of MIA members would
seem to agree.
THE SOUND POST LTD: 01985 851122

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 41

PRODUCT LAUNCH • SHURE

Revolution in the Head
A new line of headphones from Shure UK demonstrates a confident step into a busy market for a distributor more
traditionally associated with the trappings of the live stage. Rob Power cups his ear to find out more…

T

hanks to decades producing some of
the most famous microphones in the
world, Shure is a brand that is
familiar to pretty much every musician
who has ever sung in front of a crowd. The
latest products to be unveiled under the
famed Shure banner, however, are a step
away from the traditional fare of the
company as it lifts the curtain on a new
line of headphones for the market.
The new headphones, the SRH 240,
440, 840 and 750, all carry on the Shure
traditions of rugged build quality and
excellent sound quality and look set to
make quite an impression on what is
without question a competitive and busy
part of the market. “There are four
headphones in the new range, all with
different features,” says Shure’s Paul
Crognale. “There is an entry level
headphone with consumers in mind, the
SRH 240, two pairs of headphones aimed
at the studio professional – the SRH 440
and SRH 840 and another super pair due
at the end of October for DJs in the form
of the SRH 750. In terms of features
(excluding the entry model) they all come
with a bayonet clip to securely lock the
detachable cable and have a strong focus
on comfort.”

42 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

So while the headphones themselves
have a clear appeal to various customer
profiles, with so much competition vying
for attention, how can Shure make its
presence felt beyond more established
headphone manufacturers?
“The headphone marketplace is an
extremely competitive one” explains
Crognale. “We have our SM58 in the wired
microphone category and obviously there

question is whether Shure plans to make
inroads into the headphone market.
“That would be telling,” says Crognale.
“Our efforts in the high-end earphone
market have been rewarded and there are
no doubt going to be additions to both
our earphone and headphone offerings in
the future.” In the meantime however,
Shure has put in the legwork to help retail
with a fine line of support.

“The headphone market is an extremely
competitive one, but we have a lot of experience
in earphones for professionals.”
Paul Crognale, Shure Distribution UK
are equivalents or industry standards in
the headphone category. We have been
producing top-end in-ear earphones for
stage professionals and ‘prosumers’ for
some time and taking this experience
across to a related market seems to be a
perfect line extension. Initial reactions
from press and customers have been very
positive and it is great to take on new
customers such as HMV.”
An increased high street presence will
no doubt help boost the brand’s broader
appeal and, with that in mind, the

“We have great POS available to all
customers who commit to the new
offering,” continues Crognale. “POS is
really important for us, especially when it
comes to new products. The POS ships
with three sets of interchangeable
graphics so the dealer can decide which to
use and features a selection of tracks
across different genres.”
Looking at the broader picture and with
the market tentatively recovering from
what has been a very tough few months,
the confidence implied in this step into

the headphone market suggests Shure is
coping admirably well with the current
economic situation.
“Everyone is finding it tough,”
says Crognale. “We have some
strong brands in our portfolio
and are confident we will
get through anything
thrown at us. We will be
receiving shipments of
our new PG42 and
PG27 USB mics at
the end of September
and the DJ phones in
October. I can’t say
anything just yet about
new releases for 2010,
but be sure there are
some great things in
development.”
With new products and a
confident launch in a new
market, things certainly seem
to be looking strong and
steady with Shure these days.
If the company’s pedigree is
anything to go by we can
expect smooth runnings from the
microphone maestro for some time yet.
SHURE: 01992 703058

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

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News: SK120 Rated ‘Exceptional’ in
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name is associated with high quality and
excellent value.

As well as being the first point of call for all the hard to find traditional musical instruments your customers are asking
you for, Gremlin Music is a one stop shop for any musical instrument retailer. We can supply a massive range of acoustic
musical instruments, spares, accessories, strings, books and DVDs. Become a Gremlin Dealer and give your customers
a better choice! We pride ourselves on the personal touch - you can always reach us by phone during working hours, and we’ll always send your order as fast as possible, no matter what the size. If you’re a dealer,
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in the business for over 25 years, and can offer you an experienced, friendly and professional service.

MI Pro finds out that Matt Esau has to read and respond to four email accounts
every day, logs all of SCV’s PR and adverts, and even sorts out stock problems...

I

start at nine o’clock. I make a cup
of tea first thing and listen out for
the sandwich van in order to buy
some fruit to get me going. In terms
of work, the first thing I do is print
out invoices – it would normally be
an administrative thing, but we’ve
switched to a system where we are
emailing all our invoices out, so I
have to check that every morning
and make sure it’s working.
TIME FOR EMAIL TIMES FOUR
After that I check through my emails.
I’ve got four inboxes to check every
morning: there’s my own email, a PR
inbox, a marketing inbox and we also
have a general email address, which I
check for different people. I’ll then
distribute that around, making sure
nothing gets missed.
In terms of the emails themselves,
they could be anything from new
product releases to requests for
images or magazine reviews. I often
have to chase magazines to get kit
back, which can take a while. All this
can take a couple of hours if there’s a
lot in there, so it keeps me busy.
Then I’ll move on to anything else
that needs sorting out, like sending
out loan stock or sourcing pictures.
Once I’ve worked through all that,
there are normally a few magazines
that have come in through the post,
so I’ll go through and read any
reviews and PR that may have been

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

published and check all of the
adverts in order to make sure they
are where we wanted them and look
as we wanted them.
I log all of that material, which
keeps me in touch with what’s going
on, so we can try and improve our
relationships with publishers. I also
scan in all the PR and any news or
editorial that’s relevant, and then
email that round all the sales reps
and staff, as well as sending it on to
the manufacturers (whether it’s good

check and they’ll come back to me
with any errors. I have to sort those
out and then make adjustments if
needs be.
I started here in 2002, so I’ve been
here a while now and I pretty much
know how everything works. It’s a
very friendly company to work for,
and it’s almost family oriented. It’s
not particularly corporate, and in that
sense the people who work here find
it an easy-going atmosphere that’s
quite relaxed, even though we all

I scan in all the PR and any news or
editorial that’s relevant and then email
that around all the sales reps and staff,
as well as the manufacturers, so they
can get some accurate feedback.
or bad) so that they can get some
accurate feedback and so they can
see we’re working for them.
It’s not really part of my
communications manager job but I
look after stock movements as well.
We have several warehouses and
once stock comes in brand new it
goes into our new UK warehouse, but
we have warehousing for loan stock,
goods that need fixing, and B-stock.
I make sure all of that is in place, and
the warehouses do a daily stock

work hard. It’s nice to be selfmanaged and to be able to get on
with things.
It’s also close to home, and my
commute is very easy – we’re in
Essex, and I live in East London, so it
only takes me 15 minutes to get into
work in the mornings. I started here
doing telesales, then I was the sales
office manager looking after the
sales office, which I still do to a
degree, and now I work with PR
and marketing.

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 45

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The Music Sales Group

RETAIL
NEWS, OPINION, DATA

BEHIND THE COUNTER

NEWS
Intermusic at
Shine Week, SAE
Online, Biggars
back a year

Faith in
humankind is a
balalaika

INDIE PROFILE
The Guitar
Store,
Southampton

LOCATION REPORT
What’s the
reading in
Reading

Welcome Rocktronic
Buying group changes name to consolidate image to both trade and public, looks to grow consortium in specific areas

T

he Firm buying group has re-branded
as Rocktronic Music Stores. The
name change was agreed at this
year’s conference hosted by the buying
group back in April.
The Rocktronic name was already in use
as the ‘public facing’ name used by
members of the consortium at consumer
shows, for combined advertising
campaigns and is also used for the group’s
warehousing operation, but of course the
trade knew the group as The Firm. Now
the two ‘identities’ and the two
companies, Rocktronic Music Stores and
Rocktronic Warehousing, are consolidated
under the same name.
John Hulke, one of the the directors of
Rocktronic Music Stores, explained the
reason for the change. “We are presently
expanding into new areas, including the
expansion of our membership and
warehousing facilities. We needed a brand
that represented all our activities and our
existing ‘Rocktronic’ brand fitted the bill.”
The delay in the announcement has
been the simple matter of registering the
name with all of the relevant authorities.
The Firm (originally an acronym for
Federation of Independent Retail Music
stores) was established in the late 1980s
by about half a dozen stores, which faded
somewhat during the recession of the
1990s. In 2000, with Fret Music’s Eddie
Hailwood at the helm, the group returned
with considerable fanfare and immediately
grew to around 30 stores, with a structure
based on the Euronics buying consortium
of white goods retailers.
The obvious major purpose of such a
group is that combined buying means
member stores can benefit from
maximum purchasing numbers and thus
the best discounts on orders. As a major
buyer, the group also enjoys exclusive

www.mi-pro.co.uk

Rocktronic chairman, Tony White and the office team (l to r) Ian Barnes and John Hulke
deals with various manufacturers and
suppliers from time to time.
Now, with Bonner’s boss, Tony White in
the chair, Rocktronic is looking to further
consolidate its position as an even
stronger purchasing force in MI retail.
Hulke explained that the consortium is
now putting out an offer to other
independent MI retailers to take
advantage of the benefits Rocktronic can
provide them.
“The current trading conditions mean
that it is more important than ever for
retailers to be part of a buying group such
as ours. The changes we are now
implementing will make it far easier for
retailers to join us. To help this along, we

will be holding a presentation in the
area where we feel Rocktronic is underrepresented.”
The presentation will be held at the
Birch Hotel, Manchester Road, Birch,
Heywood, Manchester OL10 2QD on
September 7th at 7pm and all general MI
dealers in the area are welcome to attend.
Seating is limted, which means that
dealers wishing to attend should call
Hulke at the Rocktronic office.
“Rocktronic has members from
Inverness to Devon, but, if you’ll forgive
the mixed imagery, we are top heavy in
the South and we really want to
encourage new members in the Liverpool
and Manchester regions,” explained Hulke.

“There is a limit to how many members
we can take on before we end up
competing with ourselves, but at the
moment we are looking to find 25 to 30
new members.”
Criteria for joining involves a
membership fee and the ability to show
good trading for two to three years. Each
individual application is appraised and
although the vast majority of Rocktronic
members are general MI stores, this is not
a hard and fast prerequisite.
ROCKTRONIC: 01903 744872

miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 47

RETAIL • NEWS

SAE brings courses online Festival ups footfall
Audio educator offers web-based film, game and music production courses
THE SCHOOL of Audio
Engineering (SAE) is now
offering 22 courses online,
expected to rise to 25 and
beyond soon, bringing the
school’s production and
programming education to
homes around the world and to
people too busy to take on a full
time educational course.
The courses on the
saeonline.com website cover
every aspect of creative
technology, including camera
tracking, 3D character design,
writing music for visuals, mic
placement and recording
techniques. There are 16 learning
advisors on hand to offer help
and advice and students are
encouraged to use the site to
interact with these advisors and
other students.

The SAE has more than 50
campuses around the world,
which means the courses are
available in English, Spanish,
Italian and German and the
International Graduate College is
planning to integrate with the
SAE Online courses to offer a
masters degree in conjunction

with Middlesex University.
Additional post-grad
development is also in the
pipeline. The games
programming has been
developed with SAE’s sister
company Qantm, which
specialises in such courses.
SAE: 01865 787150

Biggars’ big celebration
Glasgow retailer weathers the storm to celebrate a year back in business
BIGGARS, THE Glasgow MI
retailer, is celebrating a year
back in business, having survived
a brief period in administration
in 2008, after which David and
Gill Hutchison re-opened the
Sauchiehall Street store.
The pair made a further
personal investment in the
business, as well as receiving a
significant additional financial
injection from a private backer.
The shop has lowered its cost
base and refocused on its
traditional strengths in
orchestral retailing.

Before the administration, the
Hutchisons had recognised more
difficult trading conditions
ahead and took steps to
strengthen the business. These
included merging the sheet
music and instrumental
departments, which has allowed
better access to Biggars’ staff,
who are now focused on one
area of the shop.
The owners are also currently
working on a revamped Biggars
website, which will allow it to
compete more evenly with
online retailers.

David Hutchison said: “The
entire retail market is suffering
at the moment, but we were
never in any doubt that Biggars
would remain an integral part of
Glasgow’s music scene.
“Unfortunately change takes
time and we simply ran out of
it. One year on we are leaner
and fitter and well-placed to
move forwards. Our customers
are the most important thing
and we want them to think of
Biggars as the number one shop
in Glasgow.”
BIGGARS: 0141 332 8676

Intermusic’s work with Shine Week festival
encourages youngsters to go to MI stores

INTERMUSIC, IN partnership
with Shine Week, a national
festival that celebrates youth
talent, has driven youngsters to
35 independent music retailers
across England throughout July.
Thousands of schools and
organisations registered for this
year’s event, in turn promoting
a Shine guitar giveaway,
reaching 2,000,000 people.
They were encouraged to enter
a prize draw at their local
participating MI retailer, each
one of whom was asked to run
a Shine Week event in store or
in the community.
The point was to drive
children to their local retailer
and help them connect with
the local music community
through that retailer. Every
participating retailer received a
Shine guitar to give away.
David Cooper of One Man
Band in Banbury was one of
the retailers to take part. His
store held a talent competition
in its community, which

received a lot of support. “It’s
brilliant that a distributor is
actually doing something
proactive to create some
interest,” he said.
“Intermusic gave us a reason
to go out and market ourselves
in the quiet summer months,
one with the clout of a
national event behind it and I
think we made the most of it.”
“We negotiated a privileged
position as Shine Week only
partnered with three other
corporate brands,” explained
David Rushworth, director of
MI at Intermusic. “The
organisers were convinced by
our values and our promise to
encourage retailers to events.”
Shine Week itself ran from
July 6th to 10th. Retailers had
access to a media pack to help
promote their events and
regional and national publicity
experts who were on hand to
promote events or young
talent on the shop’s behalf.
INTERMUSIC: 0151 342 5760

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48 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

www.mi-pro.co.uk

INDIE PROFILE • RETAIL

THE GUITAR STORE
SOUTHAMPTON

Is business up or down compared
to this time last year?
We moved to a much nicer
location and if you’ve seen our
shop front (see below) – it looks
like a Fender Superchamp – we’ve
had a lot of exposure because of
that and we’ve stepped up our
game quite a lot. Business has
definitely been up – it’s been better
than we expected.
How do you market the shop?
Our shop front has been a big
factor and we’ve got a new website
that will be ready to
go soon. We’ve also got a full
e-commerce shop going for the
first time. The whole reason we did
the shop front was to generate
more publicity, although we didn’t
appreciate just how much publicity
we would get. I was answering
phone calls from America, Japan
and Australia and for a couple
of weeks we were everywhere.
When it comes to traditional
advertising we stick to the
magazines we like – Guitarist,
Guitar Buyer and Total Guitar.
How do you compete with the
online competition?
It seems to have got better since
the Gibson deal, which has worked
out very well for us. More

distributors are coming round to
the fact that if they police their
prices and prevent internet
muggers getting hold of stock and
getting rid of it, then shops will
stock their gear. We’ve always done
Gibson and two or three years ago
we had maybe ten Gibsons in the
shop. Now, we’ve probably got 40
on the wall and I definitely
wouldn’t be doing that under the
old arrangements. There’s no
escaping online competition, but if
prices are the same on a product
and you can confidently say there
are no cheaper prices, then that
can work out well. Brands like
Tanglewood and other brands that
we do a lot of business with all
look after their prices properly.
What do you consider to be your
main strengths and weaknesses?
The location of our store is great,
and the size of it is very nice. The
only weakness at this point is that
we could do with extra space, as
we’d like to stock more lines,
especially of Martin, Gibson and
Fender. It’s tricky to know when
it’s right to expand in the current
economic climate. Also, we
appreciate the fact that most
people think that staff in guitar
shops will give customers attitude.
So we always make sure we recruit

friendly, helpful people and I really
do think that we give outstanding
customer service. We’re all
passionate gear heads.
How do you ensure a good level
of customer service?
It comes down to picking the
right guys for the job, so that
they know they are here to help
people in what is probably one of
the last true customer service
industries left.
What would be the one product
you could not do without?
Gibson as a line. It’s been really
good for us, it’s a great company to
work with and the people there are
doing everything right. It’s got
great quality control and the UK
staff are second to none. It’s one of
the few brands that we feel we
would sell a lot more if only we
could get more stock.
How can the industry do more to
support retail?
Follow the Gibson model. I would
say protecting the retailer and
setting prices, doing more to
protect them. We’ve had enough of
putting up with distributors and
manufacturers that don’t care
about anyone beyond the three
big retailers.

Reading
Sitting happily just off the M4, Reading has less
to offer its musical inhabitants these days than
it had in the past. Rob Power investigates…

DAWSONS
After plenty of research and an awful lot
of driving around, in the end Reading town
centre offered up only three options for its
musicians and part of that, one suspects,
is due to the presence of a simply massive
Dawsons admirably placed on a bustling
main road a mere hop skip and a jump
away from the train station.
As you might expect from somewhere
so big, pretty much every box is ticked in
terms of product: bundles of Fender and
Gibson electrics and acoustics, Roland
electronic kits aplenty, Yamaha in
abundance, more sheet music that you
could eat in a lifetime and a well stocked
pro audio section. Sparklingly clean, with
plenty of helpful, enthusiastic and
knowledgeable staff of hand, you can’t
help but be impressed.
The prices, as you would expect from
such a big chain, are kept low, and these is
basically very little that can be said
against Dawsons. Except, well, there’s
something not quite right, especially to
those of us who like our music shops to be
homely and comfortable. It’s simply a
problem many of us have with shops of
this size.
There is absolutely no questioning the
quality of the stock choices – pretty much
everything I’d like to have seen from any
number of ranges (including instruments I
haven’t seen anywhere else for some time)
were on display and there are enough bits

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

and pieces around the place to keep locals
returning time and time again.
Dealing in facts for a second though,
this is a store that is well presented, busy,
full of pleasant staff and excellent kit and
one that seems to be doing very well,
regardless how old sods like me might feel
about its slightly impersonal size.
HICKIES
As the only general MI alternative to
Dawsons in the town centre, Hickies is
very much at the other end of the MI
store scale.
A small, two-storey shop with a piano
repair and showroom upstairs and a

doubt a strong area for Hickies, with
Yamaha, Buffet and Stentor all on display
in well-maintained cabinets and the staff
appear relaxed, easy to get on with and
full of information.
It is situated in an excellent location
right on the main drag in the centre,
within spitting distance of a number of
bus stops and right around the corner
from a large shopping centre.
The window displays are nicely put
together and eye-catching, whilst the
interior as a whole is inviting and friendly.
Whilst it noticeably lacks any of the high
end gear that Dawsons is able to stock, it
makes up for it with buckets of charm and

After plenty of research and an awful lot of
driving around, Reading town centre offered up
only three options for its musicians. Pretty good
options, though.
mainly guitar and sheet music section
downstairs, it’s a pleasant enough place to
while away a half an hour or so.
A nice selection of suitably esoteric
guitars, no doubt designed to provide an
alternative to the almost entirely Fender
and Gibson-based stocking choices of
Dawsons, gives the place a nice air of
quirkiness. Brass and woodwind are no

plenty of character, as well as an excellent
printed music section that outstrips even
its hefty near-neighbour’s offering.
GUITARWORKS
At first glance, the Guitarworks looks a
little tucked away in its Market Place
location. Stand back for a minute, though,
and you realise that this is something of a

busy thoroughfare between the busy
centre and the even busier Oracle
shopping centre. There is constant traffic
past (and through) the shop.
Once inside, you see a clean, tidy, well
stocked guitar specialist that caters to
pretty much everybody from the beginner
to the occasional collector.
Big sellers are Tanglewood and Fender
and on the amp side of things, Blackstar,
and the store has a good collection of all
of these. It has also recently taken on the
exclusive (for reading, of course)
dealership for Hughes & Kettner amps.
Guitarworks is very much a guitarists
store. The guys working there all know
their stuff, all play and all have a marrowdeep love of planks of wood with wires
stretched across them – and the machines
that make them go really loud.
The store has two private demo rooms
– one stocked with various amps and the
other stocked with high-end acoustic and
electric guitars. In addition to this, there is
also a range of luthier-type services from
guitar set-ups to repairs.
There is also a pretty efficient (if not hi
tech) website. Things get interesting here.
Most online stores ship you a guitar as it
comes in from the manufacturer – which
usually means paying to get it set up
before it is really useable. Guitarworks sets
up guitars to the customers’ specification
before it is sent out. This is an impressive
little shop and worth a visit.
miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 51

RETAIL • BEHIND THE COUNTER

A relationship that lasts forever
Treat your customers right and one day they might come into your shop bearing an armful of balalaikas...

S

ometimes, when the wind
is blowing in the right
direction and the gods are
smiling, customers can really
reinvigorate your faith in
humanity. As anyone who has
to deal with the great
unwashed on a daily basis will
know, it can be a thankless task,
a relentless grind of familiar
questions that can turn your
brain to mush, so when
someone actually manages to
brighten up your day, it’s a
cause for celebration.
Take, for example, the rather
middle class mother of two
who wandered into our
establishment recently, looking
nothing short of utterly
bewildered. Clearly unfamiliar
with the devilish world of rock
n roll, she marched up to the
counter and proceeded to tell
us that, should we want it, she
has an instrument for us. She
didn’t know what it was, only
that it had belonged to her
recently deceased uncle and

52 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

was triangular. Our suspicions
duly aroused, she tootled off to
the car, returning as promised
with an odd triangle shaped
case. A brief inspection revealed
a beautiful, Russian-made
balalaika that, while clearly a
few years old, was in excellent
condition and made a simply
stunning noise when given a
cursory pluck. Love at first
strum, without a doubt.
And so, oft overlooked three
stringer in hand, we proceeded
to ask our favourite local
mother what she would like for
this particular piece of musical
miscellany – her reply? “Stick a
tenner in a charity box, love. It’s
yours if you want it.” An epic
win, I think you’ll agree.
What all this goes to
illustrate is that music shops
the country over are places
where Good Things Happen.
Customers begin or continue
musical relationships that will
last the rest of their lives under
these roofs and for all the hard

work and pricing problems and
the bloody internet, it is, at
the end of the day, all
well worth the effort.
Problems this month
have piled up thick and
fast, but the selfless
gesture of our
balalaika-rich
customer kept us
all going.
The internet
remains our primary
battleground as we
attempt to raise the
shop’s profile. Things
are moving along,
and while we’ve yet to
achieve the sort of online
sales that will have GAK
shitting its pants, customers
are definitely using the site
and word is spreading, so
it’s slow but steady all the
way there.
Internet dabblings aside,
we’ve had a rush of
left handers in
recently, and you

can’t help but feel sorry for
them. While we do our best to
stock as many lefties as
we can – and it’s a damn
sight more than many
of our competitors, let
me tell you – there’s
never enough choice,
enough variation,
enough shiny new
guitars for eager (if back
to front) hands to fondle and
cherish. Which is an almighty
shame, because at the moment
it feels as if about 40 per cent
of our customer base is made
up of left hookers – who all
want new guitars. Not a bad
situation to be in, granted, but
it is when the amount of time
it takes to get some models is
long enough to learn to play
the thing the other way round.
Still, mustn’t grumble, eh...

NEXT MONTH...
A plague of schoolkids descends
as the schools re-open.

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

MIA NEWS an update from your industry trade association

Call for live music concessions
The MIA is central to the lobbying collective aiming to redress the difficulties for smaller venues hosting music
THE MIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Paul McManus is soon to meet
with Lord Clement-Jones to see how the
industry can lend its full support for the
Bill described below.
A simultaneous lobbying campaign is
also being waged with the Department for
Culture over similar concessions involving
UK Music, the Musicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Union, the MIA
and others.
Speaking in the House of Lords recently,
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones
announced his intention to introduce a
Private Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bill that will provide a
conditional exemption for live music in
small venues licensed under the Licensing
Act 2003.
Lord Clement-Jones argued that, so far,
the Licensing Act 2003 had done little to
promote live music performance and it
was clear that amendments to allow
concessions for certain live music venues
had been futile.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no doubt that the current
minor variations order is inadequate and
will not deliver what we on these benches,
the Select Committee or UK Music want

Where would Steve Vai (centre) have been
without a small venue to spark his career?
to see,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Minor variations to an
existing licence are no substitute for the
introduction of a new small-venues
exemption under the Act.â&#x20AC;?

The intended solution of a Private
Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bill will consist of three main
proposals, listed here.
To provide a total exemption for

hospitals, schools and colleges from the
requirement to obtain a licence for live
music when providing entertainment
where alcohol is not sold and involves no
more than 200 people
To exempt live music in small venues
from the Licensing Act, conditional on
Section 177, which will be triggered so
that a licence for live music can be
reviewed and if complaints by local
residents are made, then there can be a
full, proper hearing.
To reintroduce the two-in-a-bar rule so
that any performance of unamplified live
music by up to two people will be exempt
from the need for a licence.
A transcript of the debate can be found
at theyworkforyou.com/lords.
This campaign is of major importance if
we are to ensure that smaller venues are
not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;put offâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by bureaucracy from staging
live music. Please contact
paulmc@mia.org.uk for any ideas or
suggestions you might have as to how
you could support a campaign for the
Memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bill.

Making the most of the
connections you already have.
New customers

Call 0800 731 8921*
Existing customers

Call 0845 702 3344**

Benefits to you
Preferential card processing rates
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
Author: George Case
Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man
Target: General
Comment: This book has a second
subtitle: ‘An unofficial biography’, but it is
the surprising fact that this is the first
attempt to document the life of one of
the most influential guitarists in rock and
pop that makes this a must-read.
Case, an American who clearly has done
his research into the quirky life of the
British in the post-war period and through
the 1960s, which moulded Page into the

GENERAL
Artist: Moses Avalon
Confessions of a Record
Producer

man he is, has pieced together an
interesting book through source material
and biographies of Led Zeppelin,
newspapers, websites and so on. This
means it is not an authoritative
document, but it is pretty comprehensive.
While this could leave the reader
distanced from the goings on related, Case
maintains a careful blend of flowing prose
(sometimes bordering on the flowery) and a
matter-of-fact journalism that is convincing.

With the nature of this highly private
man still something of a mystery, this
book takes a significant first step in
outlining the inspirations and motivations
of Jimmy Page, while simultaneously
taking in a good helping of the
raucousness and decadence of Led Zep in
their heyday and how Page calmed his
demons to become the elder statesman of
rock n roll he is today.
BACKBEAT: 020 7720 3581

Author: Mike Longworth (Johnston & Boak)
Martin Guitars: A Technical Reference
Target: Specialist, guitar
Comment: If ever there were a book for
the luthier nerd, this could quite possibly be
The One. Working from Mike Longworth’s
original, Richard Johnstone and Dick Boak
have updated this authorised manual to
become a guide to historical facts on the
production runs and manufacturing specs
of virtually every Martin instrument since
the company began in 1833. Take a deep
breath and dive in – every page has
something of interest.
HAL LEONARD (MUSIC SALES):
01284 702600

Target: General
Comment: This is the fourth revised and
updated edition of this classic, which should be
read by any aspiring performer thinking about
getting involved in the record business. Avalon
kills dozens of music business myths dead and
makes you wonder why anyone with a creative
bone in their body would want anything to do
with the ducking and diving lowlifes that make
up the vast majority of the industry.
BACKBEAT: 020 7720 3581

CLASSICAL
Artist: Astor Piazzolla
(arr Crabb)
Vuelvo al Sur
Target: Accordion
Comment: Seen by many as the father of
tango nuevo, Piazzolla wrote well over 1,000
pieces for various ensembles and is today
recognised around the world. In this edition,
James Crabb adapts his pieces for the
accordion, which includes music from the
film Sur.
BOOSEY & HAWKES (SCHOTT):
020 7534 0744

POPULAR
Artist: Katherine
Jenkins
You’re the Voice
Target: PVG
Comment: Probably the leading light in terms
of bringing classical voice to the masses in
recent years, Faber has put together another
of the hugely successful You’re the Voice
compilations, this time in the style of the
Welsh warbler. Traditional pieces, hymns, arias
and popular songs (ten in total) make up this
useful collection.
FABER: 01279 828989

60 miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009

Artist: Karl Jenkins
Te Deum
Target: Choirs (piano accompaniment)
Comment: This is Jenkins’ third piece in a row
to provide a setting for a traditional Latin text
– the piano accompanied arrangement for
SATB was originally scored for voices, trumpet,
percussion and strings. This edition makes Te
Deum accessible to choirs of all sizes and
will prove a popular and challenging addition
to repertoire.
BOOSEY & HAWKES (SCHOTT):
020 7534 0744

Author: Tom Hapke
Studio Essentials
Target: Recording musicians, producers
Comment: A beginner’s guide to the
recording studio. Nothing earth-moving
here, but good solid advice for the wouldbe engineer starting out and wondering
how to do some jobs and why one does
others. Pretty much every aspect of the
studio is covered, however briefly, including
a run-through of how to record voices and
any instrument you care to think of,
combined with outlines of the various
console, outboard and monitoring kit you
might consider essential.
JAWBONE: 020 7720 3581

WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK

PRINT • NEW PRODUCTS

Author: Take That
The Circus

Artist: Various
The Ukulele Playlist

Target: Easy Piano
Comment: It is quite possible that the
success of this archetypal boy band’s reunion
surprised even the band itself – then again,
maybe not. What is clear is that this band and
this album have massive commercial pull and
now it’s available from Faber Music in easy
piano version, in its most accessible format.
This one is already flying off the shelves, so if
you haven’t stocked it yet, you should
consider doing so now.
FABER: 01279 828989

Target: Ukulele
Comment: Over 30 songs are collected
together here from Faber’s stable – and it
represents a pretty exciting and contemporary
repertoire for the budding player, as well as a
fantastic springboard for those intermediates
looking to increase their own playlist. You’ll
find excellent choices here, combined with
what is sometimes a startling variety.
Excellent.
FABER: 01279 828989

Author: Mary King (ed)
Singing in French
Series: The Boosey Voice Coach
Target: Voice
Comment: Boosey’s excellent series continues
with Mary King’s contribution. King points out
that today’s singers can no longer depend on
a living from specialisation and need to be as
broad and diverse as possible to get the work
as and when it appears. As with other books in
this series, the notes are divided into ‘text’ and
‘French’ and then adds notes on each specific
song. The artist can then learn both language
and technique through repertoire.
BOOSEY & HAWKES (SCHOTT):
020 7534 0744

EDUCATION
Author: Jürgen Moser
Discovering Rock Piano
(Volume 2)
Series: Schott Discovering/Improvising series
Target: Piano
Comment: Following volume one, this book goes
through further rock styles and melodies, taking
in rhythmic, harmonic and solo improvising
along the way, with the aim of helping players
develop their own style of playing.
SCHOTT: 020 7534 0744

International Exhibition for Musical Instruments and Services
ɻਝɐࣵ
ਝ჌ᅥኂࢄᙴผ

13 – 16 October 2009

Shanghai New International Expo Centre, China

live for the music
• over 40,000 distributors, dealers, retailers and
musicians from 91 countries
• over 1,100 exhibitors showing a broad product
mix of both western and traditional Chinese
instruments
• set against the backdrop of one of the world’s
most exciting and rapidly-developing music
product markets
For information, visit www.musikmesse.com
Or email music@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

Soar Valley Music and
Early Years woodwind
Get 'em early with the first and the best ocarina on
the market. That’s what Soar Valley Music thinks and
there is to be no dissuading it...

S

ince 1983 Soar Valley Music
(SVM) has distributed the
Langley range of ocarinas
and Poly-Ocs.
It made a lot of sense back then, as
the folk instrument market was reemerging and it was part of SV’s
ethos to introduce unheard-of
instruments into the MI market,
which would bring new customers
to the trade.
Inspirational musician John Langley
started out in the business by making
ceramic ocarinas (and he still is).
These instruments are beautifully
voiced, tuned and played in either D
or G. He taught and played the
instrument and was endorsed by the
great Michael Copley of the
Cambridge Buskers, who formed the
Chuckerbutty Ocarina Quartet.
Seeing how easy it was to teach
children, Langley decided to develop
an ABS plastic instrument and the
Poly-Oc was born. This continues to
be taught as the first woodwind

instrument in many primary schools.
In the words of Langley: “The
English-style ocarina, which I make, is
the ideal starting instrument.
Everybody can co-ordinate the first
two fingers of each hand to produce
fluent music within minutes of picking
up the instrument. For children, it is a
joy and a fascination. To make
beautiful sounds, as if the birds in the
trees were singing our favourite songs:
this is what children want. I take
pleasure in sharing it with them.”
The Langley instruments have a
great tone and are well voiced and in
tune over the whole octave plus one
note. The originals are designed to
play with any concert pitch
instrument and are made in bright
primary colours – red and blue.
SVM supplies the Poly-Ocs in
schools packs – with good retailer
margins, so expect enquiries to come
in during the first few weeks of term.
SOAR VALLEY: 0116 230 4926
WWW.SOARVALLEYMUSIC.CO.UK

BRITAIN'S
FINEST
BOUTIQUE
EFFECTS
Rothwell effects pedals are truly
hand-made here in the uk and built to the
highest standards. The cases are hand
polished and the electronics carefully
assembled by skilled uk workers. The circuit design
is innovative and original (we don't do clones, repros or
mods) and the sound is the sound of classic rock guitar - pure tone.
Our pedals are quickly gaining a reputation for superb quality and are being played on some of the
world's biggest stages. The Hellbender (overdrive) and Switchblade (distortion) are currently being
heard by thousands of fans on Justin Timberlake's world tour, played by Mike Scott (also Prince's
main guitarist), who says "you make truly great, great pedals".
Why not join our growing list of uk and international dealers and stock Britain's finest boutique
effects pedals.

Make sure school ocarinas are on
your counter-top and available
when customers request them!
Quote ‘MI Pro’ when you order
12 Ocarinas & 12 Books and be
amazed at the ocarina’s potential...
Trade orders are sent by return:
free delivery & no minimum order

PRO
THE LAST WORD IN MI
MI Pro prides itself on bringing you hard-hitting news and analysis, but, we reckon you’d also enjoy seeing your peers in
their more ‘off duty’ moments. So, we’ve expanded CODA to include a permanent pictorial spread of the month’s social
highlights. If you have any snaps from an event you’d like us to include, please send them to mipro@intentmedia.co.uk...

RETRO

TOP OF THE CLASS

SEPTEMBER 2002
Cover Stars: Digidesign’s Jed Allen and Tim Hurrell
reveal that Pro Tools is on its way to becoming a
more MI oriented product.
News: Fred Gretsch hands Fender the rights to his
guitars worldwide, Carlsbro sets up strategic
alliances with Citronic and Celestion, Peavey
establishes strategic alliance with Syncro in Italy.

July 28th saw Marshall inviting a selection of press, special guests,
dignitaries and employees alike to Ronnie Scott’s club in the West
End of London for the launch of a brand new amp: the Class 5.
As well as a chance to nosh and natter for the assembled,
everybody was also treated to the new amp being put through its
paces by the young (just 17 years old) and unbelievably talented
Krissy Matthews (above and right) and his eponymous band and a
full set from Joe Bonamassa. It was an impressive work out.
This is a special little combo and will go a long way to
underlining Marshall’s position as the world’s number one amp
maker, not least with retailers. It’s an all-valve, handwired box and
it’s made in England.
The Class 5 is a five-Watt, ten-inch speaker-loaded combo with
Class A circuitry from input to output and is the result of research
into the needs and wants of bedroom, studio, club and stadium
players alike, which would appear to boil down to something simple
that can, at the turn of any one of four knobs, create a multitude of
valve-based tones. The low Wattage, of course, making it easier to
bring about degrees of crunch – from subtle to excessive – at very
manageable volumes. At just £350, this is sure to be a best seller.

Although associated predominantly with the Fender Stratocaster during the peak of his
career, Hendrix loved his guitars and collected many while working towards his favourite

1959 - 62

1962

1965

1966

1959 - 62

1965

Hendrix reportedly bought his first
guitar at Myers Music in Seattle – a
Supro Ozark. He then moved on to
a red Danelectro Silvertone
(nicknamed Betty Jean). Both were
single pickup models and were
most likely purchased on the
grounds of price rather than any
actual tone or playability.

Just six years after the purchase of
his first guitar, Hendrix was playing
with Little Richard (a hero of the
guitarist) and plumped for the
Fender Jazzmaster, although
through this period and later with
Curtis Knight, he was seen playing
both his Fenders, the Duo-Sonic and
the Jazzmaster.

1962

1966

The story goes that Hendrix then
exchanged Betty Jean for the (now
classic and recently re-introduced)
Epiphone Wilshire. It was the dual
pickup configuration that Hendrix
liked, combined with the depth of
resonance from the solid (and
heavy) mahogany body and neck.
This was probably his first choice of
guitar on the grounds that it
sounded good.

The big moment came in the
summer of 66, when JH bought his
first Strat from Manny’s in New
York. Although he toyed with
various models, including lefties and
rosewood fingerboards, he
eventually settled on a rightie
Strat, strung upside down (he
preferred the controls at the top of
the guitar) with a maple fretboard.

1964

1964

1970

MI ICON

I

n the wake of the death of Les Paul,
it’s only right that MI Pro salutes
that mightiest of guitars, the
Gibson Les Paul.
One of the most recognisable
guitars in the world alongside the
Fender Stratocaster, the Les Paul is an
instrument that revolutionised the
possibilities of amplified sound and
changed the concept of how an
electric guitar should sound and how
it should be played.
In the early 1950s, Paul was already
a big name on American radio, albeit
one with a habit of tinkering with
guitars and recording techniques.
Approached by Gibson (in what must
have been a hugely satisfying
moment for Paul, whose previous ‘Log’
design had already been rejected by
the company) with a view to cooperating on an endorsement, a
genuine musical legend was born.

Hendrix’s now famous Isley
Brothers (nine-month) career was
performed with his first Fender, a
59 Duo-Sonic. A good illustration of
the sounds Hendrix was already
getting on this guitar can be heard
on the Isley’s song Testify1&2.

1970
That was pretty much it, except for
one… In the last year of his career,
Hendrix was often seen playing a
Gibson Flying V. He owned a few,
one of which he decorated himself,
using a girlfriend’s nail varnish
collection. Again, Gibson has issued
a tribute replica of this classic.

MAPEX TOPS UP
WITH
JÄGERMEISTER
Jägermeister, well known for its support
of live music in and around Europe,
recently acquired a large, six-wheel-drive
ex-Russian army truck. After a spot of
repair and some very important pimping,
the ex-war veteran was converted into
an official Jägermeister event vehicle
with a ten metre squared stage and bar.
The drinks giant decided to kit the stage
out with the latest Mapex Meridian
series kit and began its tour around
Europe’s biggest music festivals. Some of
the most exciting bands around will be
giving impromptu performances on the
mobile venue to excited audiences who
can not only soak up the fantastic
sounds, but sample the delights of
Jägermeister at the same time. The
pictures show the stage at Knebworth’s
metal Sonisphere festival.

Gibson Les Paul
While some controversy remains
over the facts of who came up with
which parts of the design, it is clear
that both the finishes – gold and
black – and the trapeze tailpiece
came directly from Paul, with the
prize winning combination of a
mahogany body and a maple top also
being his idea.
The first Gibson Les Paul was
unleashed on an unsuspecting market
in 1952, costing $210 and featuring a
gold top nitro-cellulose finish, Les
Paul-designed trapeze tailpiece and a
pair of P90s. It was the beginning of a
series of electric guitars that would go
on to be held in the hands of the
greatest players throughout the
history of rock n roll.
Going through many permutations,
including various custom, junior and
artist models, as well as introducing
the world to the humbucking (PAF)

pickup in 1957, the Gibson
Les Paul has been at the
heart of any number of
great records and was
central to shaping the
sound of guitar music
in the 20th century. Its
popularity today,
being the guitar of
choice for, literally,
millions of
players
means its
status as an
MI Icon can
never be
denied.

LATEST NEWS
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miPRO SEPTEMBER 2009 73

IN ASSOCIATION W

ITH

MI SPACE

PIC OF THE MONTH
H

Gavin Thomas
Company / job title:
Yamaha Music (UK) product
manager: drums and Zildjian
Years in the industry?
16 years. I joined Yamaha in 1993
pretty much from school.
First single bought?
I was much more interested in
albums. The first LP I bought was
New Order’s Brotherhood, which
was a great place to start.

ere we see Adam Halls’ general
manager, Andrew Richardson
in full-on super hero mode,
taking part in the Christian Aid
London to Paris bike ride.
The gruelling, four-day marathon,
which had cyclists covering an
average of 75 miles per day from July
22nd to 26th, is a big fund raiser for
the Christian charity, earning the
organisation upwards of £230,000.
Richardson added a good £2,000 to
the amount.
Those interested in this or other
Christian Aid charity events should
visit christianaid.org.uk.
“You’ll be surprised to hear that it’s
a lot of fun,” said Richardson. “And
when it’s for such a good cause, it
makes it even better.”

S
E
IK
SOUNDAL
METALLICA
Inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of
Fame, Metallica are one of the
biggest names in rock . Here’s how
they get their sound…

Favourite album?
Ask me tomorrow and I will give you
a different answer. For sheer perfect
pop and tight band sound I would
say Blondie’s Parallel Lines.

Currently listening to?
I recently helped run a local festival
called ‘Parklife’ and asked Dom
Greensmith’s new band, The Black
Swan Effect, to headline. The CD has
not left my car stereo since.
Favourite musician?
It has to be Stevie Wonder. He is so
creative and has a distinct musical
voice on every instrument he plays.
Which instruments do you play?
Only drums, when you are as good at
drums as I am you don’t get the
chance on other instruments. Ha!
Are you currently in a band?
Depping for a band called Mad Mods
and Englishman and helping a local
singer songwriter called Leon Jay,
which I need for some creativity.

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We launched an entire
show’s worth of new gear on
September 1st. Each product
is designed to connect with
your customers and bring them
through your door. Plug into a
profitable 2009 by calling your
Roland Area Manager today.